SDK Still Beta, iTunes for Distro, Apple as Gatekeeper, and More...

iLounge brings word that, according to their sources (all familiar with the situation and plans, of course), the upcoming SDK will sport the following "features":

• Locked down via iTunes. All apps will be distributed exclusively via Apple's iTunes store in a manner similar to today's iPod games.
• Approved by Apple. Apple (no doubt via a single Steve Jobs thumbs up or down) will elevate any given app to the heavens of iTunes, or drop them to the lions of perpetual delay or refusal. No unapproved apps will be released or releasable.
• No docks for you. 3rd party apps will not be able to call on the connector, removing hardware keyboards and other dock-dependent offerings from the table.
• Radio/camera open. BT is unknown, but 3rd party devs should be able to access most if not all core features of OS X mobile, including Wi-Fi, phone, etc.

Also, the same sources agree with previous 'net chatter that the March Event will only see a beta release of the SDK, not the full fledged version, along with increased enterprise support.

Friday Fun: iPhone Stopwatch Hits 1000 Hours

Before you hit play, there's a cuss in the video you might want to know about if your office frowns upon this kind of thing. So what happens when the iPhone's stopwatch hits 1000 hours? It keeps going fine, but you no longer can see the seconds go by.

No word on 10,000 hours. Probably explodes.

Crazy college kids and their crazy research, eh? [via daringfireball]

Texas University: An iPhone for Every Freshman

Apple and education, an historically great market that goes great with Macs. Well now, if Abilene Christian University (ACU) is any precursor, Mobile OS X is about to follow in it's big desktop brother's shoes.

According to Phil Schubert, ACU executive vice president, "an Apple iPhone or iPod touch will become a central part of Abilene Christian University's innovative learning experience this fall when all freshmen are provided one of these converged media devices."

ACU will be providing not only the devices, but cutting-edge webapps "that ensure these tools will become critical to the students' learning experience."

Whether this is a one-off, or the beginning of a trend, and if there's any synergy with Apple's ongoing iTunes University program (where university material is provided free of charge via Apple's iTunes media store) remains to be seen. (But we certainly hope so!)

UPDATE: Not to be outdone, Oklahoma Christian University has seen ACU's free iPhone or iPod Touch, and raised a free MacBook for new students (and faculty), or trade-in for PC toting older students. (Via Engadget)

TiAIN Coating? $299. Turning Your iPhone to Dark Side? Priceless.

iPhone Custom is now offering to coat your iPhone in high quality TiAIN for $299.

And while $299 might sound expensive (same price as a brand new iPod Touch 8GB!), the end result looks impressive enough to tempt higher-end customers and early adapters, longing for a return of the jealous stares they got when flashing their iPhone on Day One.

Purchasing is simple: just eject your SIM, place your iPhone in a pre-labelled shipper, and send it off to iPhone Custom for your choice of black or gold glossy logo and bezel.

The process is also available for iPod Touch and 3G iPod Nano.

(via TUAW)

SDK Event to Bring Exchange and Lotus Support?

Again with the Apple Insider analyst tea-leaf reading, we get word from Shaw Wu of American Technology Research that Steve Jobs will spend some time during Thursday's iPhone SDK Event announcing enhanced support for Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus corporate email "solutions" (having worked in IT, I'm entitled to add the quotes.)

Wu believes it "more likely" that iPhone's corporate support will come as a result of internal development rather than licensing technologies like Microsoft's ActiveSync and/or RIM's Blackberry Connect, but only time and El Jobso will tell for sure.

Given that Apple pre-announced "enterprise" for the event, and their past job listing (no longer online) for a "motivated, highly-technical Exchange test/sync engineer with excellent problem solving and communication skills," this could be a very safe bet.

Either way, it looks like crackberry addicts and active exchangers alike may soon have iPhone pushers joining them in desperate need of instant email fixes. (Which, of course, is seen as very necessary to increasing the iPhone's penetration of corporate accounts.)

Irish iPhones Now Crying? No Unlimited Data or Visual Voice Mail?

As posted (and updated) earlier, O2 has officially launched the iPhone in Ireland, making it the fifth country (after the US, UK, Germany, and France) to enjoy the revolutionary phone and breakthrough internet device... ish...

Apple Insider reports that Irish iPhone plans, unlike all previous iPhone plans DO NOT come with unlimited data or visual voicemail (a feature often touted by Steve Jobs as being a prime example of carrier cooperation and hence, the benefit of exclusivity).

There seems to be two options here:

1. We've heard before that Edge (2.5G data) coverage isn't strong in Europe (which more quickly embraced the faster 3G data model), so could this be a (potentially temporary) situation that O2 will rectify over time? If so, we could be looking forward to service improvements and price drops like we saw with O2 in the UK.
2. Or is this a sign that Apple is no longer pressuring carriers to offer affordable, unlimited data plans or features like visual voice mail as part of the iPhone package? If so, this could be the beginning of a far more sweeping and important story. It's long been rumored that extremely high data rates have kept the iPhone out of countries like Canada, so if Apple is bending to carrier demands on these issues, it could allow the iPhone to spread wider, but at the cost of the concessions Apple was previously able to leverage. (And which analysts said could change the wireless industry)

What do you think? Is this just a temporary road bump on the way to Irish iPhone bliss, or a sign of changing times in carrier-land? And if so, would you prefer to see the iPhone in more countries, even if you get less data and fewer features? Or do you want Apple to hold the line on unlimited plans and visual voicemail-style innovations?

USB: 3G iPhone to Launch Q3 2008?

In the always entertaining game of analyst hot potato, Apple Insider brings word from global equity research analyst Nicolas Gaudois who writes that his checks agree with their Apple analyst, Ben Reitzesa's checks, that a 3G HSDPA "will be released by mid-year".

According to Gaudois, current iPhone chip supplier Infineon, in anticipation of the switch, is ramping down production of 2.5G Edge basebands.

Everyone, everywhere seems to agree that Apple will need to drop a 3G iPhone this year in order to make good on the 10 million unit sales prediction (by end of 2008) most recently reaffirmed by COO Tim Cook, so this isn't exactly Nostradamus-level prognostication, but the Apple rumor-mill has gotten better as of late (fatty Nano and MacBook Air being prime example).

So, will we see a 3G iPhone sporting Infineon by the summer? Does Intel's mobile platform fit in anywhere?

iPhone Risk: Irish iPhones Smiling March 14?

Current exclusive UK iPhone carrier O2 has apparently confirmed to Pocket-lint (via Engadget) that Apple's finest will be launching on Ireland's emerald shores come March 14th.

As with the UK, the device will sell via O2 Retail and Carphone Warehouse, cashing in at €399 (incl. VAT) for the 8GB or €499 (incl. VAT) for the 16GB, with rate plans starting at €45.

With O2 expanding its exclusivity into Ireland, and T-Mobile set to expand theirs into Austria, what's next? Orange in Belgium? AT&T somehow getting into Canada? What's your guess for iPhone's next move?

UPDATE: Looks like the 1.1.4 firmware confirms carrier listings for O2 in Ireland and T-Mobile in Austria (Macity via Ars Technica).

UPDATE 2: It's official, O2 launches the iPhone in Ireland (via Engadget).

Apple COO Speaks: AT&T Exclusivity, SDK, and more...

Tom Cook, Chief Operating Officer of a little Cupertino company named Apple, spoke at the Goldman Sachs Investment Symposium, mercilessly teasing the faithful with the following bombs:

• Apple is not "married to any [single carrier exclusive] business model". It's apparently all about the "best phones in the world", baby, and if unlocked, CDMA, and/or pre-paid proved, in the future, to provide the greatest sense of childlike wonder (or complies with future Congressional mandates), Apple could (possibly, maybe) go with that flow.
• Apple believes the global unlocking epidemic is a good sign of the iPhone's potential, and that there will always be a percentage of unlocks in the wild because of the high demand.
• That the upcoming iPhone SDK would allow developers to "only be limited by [their] imagination." (And whatever restrictions Apple imposes on accessing the metal and distributing via iTunes, 'natch).

To the delight of Wall Street, Cook also continued to hold firm on the 10 million iPhone march through the end of 2008.

Check out Apple Insider for all the details.

Is Cook telling us Apple will make good on their promised smart phone utopia? Or Is he just cranking on his own mini Reality Distortion Field? Hit the comments and let us know what you think!

US Legislation: You Have the Right to... Unlock Your iPhone?

Representative Ed Mackey (D-Mass) wants to make Apple & ATT (and all other US providers) cry. How? By copying the French. Well, technically, by adopting a law similar to France's which mandates that cell companies "shall offer to consumers the opportunity to purchase subsidy-free wireless customer equipment."

Under this proposal, Apple & ATT would likely be forced to offer an unlocked (and unsubsidized) version of the iPhone. (Bidding to start at US$999?)

Potentially worse for the telcos, it would mandate a level of clarity, detail, and (gasp!) understandability for rate plans, including itemization and disclosure of taxes and early termination fees.

Hit up news.com for the details...

iPhone SDK Event Next Thursday

It's coming, the SDK is really really coming. Thank the lord. Apple has sent out invitations to an event titled "iPhone Software Road Map." That may or may not mean they're actually releasing the SDK, but it doesn't sound like we'll be getting a slew of new apps next week.

Yes, it technically is late for the February release, but it's a relief to not be so in the dark anymore. Also interesting:

Apple also said to expect details on "some exciting new enterprise features," which at first blush sounds to me like a method of getting the iPhone to work more closely with corporate e-mail software - CNET

Hello Exchange support?

1.1.4: Jailbreakers: Go! Unlockers: Stop!

Well the news about 1.1.4 is that there's no news -- the apps are the same, the features are the same. The good news is the popular ZiPhone / iJailBreak method of jailbreaking works just fine -- for Jailbreaking. Unlocking is apparently still a no-go, but just you wait, it will be.

We're also hearing reports that the Bluetooth-dropped call issue has been fixed, along with the SMS order bug. Huzzah!

Wired.com

SD... er... Firmware Version 1.1.4 Released

If you're a dirty, dirty iPhone Jailbreaker or iPhone Unlocker, move right along because I'm sure it's going to take awhile for this to shake out. If you're a mere mortal, though, go on and open up iTunes and apply the update to version 1.1.4. What's on it? "Bug fixes." That's all we know for sure just now.

Hopefully one of the bug fixes is getting rid of the dropped calls (especially with Bluetooth) that folks have been reporting (hat tip to Merlyn3D for reminding me that this issue persists).

Hopefully it also contains some behind-the-scenes updates to get every little thing ready for the SDK. Good thing this year is a leap year - it gives Apple one more day to get that SDK out. Or maybe it really will be late. I guess we'll know for sure before the week is out.

Thanks for the heads-up, Chadman!

Update: Installed and I'm still impressed with iTunes' backup and restoration ability - everything was exactly as I left it, from the pin I was looking at on Google Maps to Web Clip icons on my homescreen. Poking around, it sure doesn't look like there are any new features. Chadman mentions that it's a full 162.1mb download, that sounds like a "bug fix and framework for the SDK" to me...

Findme: LoJack for your iPhone

Erica Sadun has done it again, creating a great app for the iPhone called "findme." What it does is constantly track your iPhone's location and sends it via SMS to Twitter. The idea is that if your iPhone is stolen or you want to enable your stalkers to keep track of you constantly, you can set this up and you'll automatically have a private Twitter page that shows the iPhone's approximate longitude and latitude.

It takes a bit of know-how to get it running (it's command line. If "curl" and "daemon" mean nothing do you, you might want to move along). If nothing else, it shows that I wasn't kidding when I said yesterday that developers will always find a way to do cool stuff with native apps.

findme [via TUAW]

iPhone SDK: Delayed? Full Featured? Yes Please.

The SDK might be delayed one to three weeks, says Arik Hesseldal of BusinessWeek:

I’m hearing from one source that its going to be late. I’m not yet hearing any reasons why, and it’s sounding like the official release date could slide by anywhere from one to three weeks. [...] However I’m also hearing that the situation is fluid, and a lot of last-minute decisions are close to being made about what precisely will or will not be disclosed next week, if anything. There are, apparently, a lot of moving parts to something this complex.

A lot of "moving parts," eh, ya think? It would be a major bummer if the SDK is delayed, but it wouldn't be too shocking - the sand is quickly running out of February's hourglass. Fairly soon, though, we're going to have some information about the SDK and I have to admit that my expectations are rising the more I think about it.

This is related (again) to Mike and my discussion in our iPhone Podcast last week. As I see it, there are four ways that the SDK announcement (whenever it comes) can shake out. Read on for some thoughts on what we might see and what I hope to see.

Two Great iPhone Apps: AppFlow and Touchpad

A couple of great iPhone apps (for Jailbroken iPhones) came out in the past couple of days. The first is AppFlow, which lets you browse your applications (but not your Web Links, they're a little different) via the sweet coverflow interface. - ericasadun.com » Introducing AppFlow [via tuaw]

The next one is Touchpad, which turns the iPhone into a trackpad for your computer. It's a neat idea, though the only use I can think of is if you have a laptop with a "nub" mouse that you want to replace from time to time. If nothing else, though, it shows the power of the iPhone:

Cool apps like these are coming out all the time on the sly now, I can't imagine what it will be like once this stuff can be official. There are, what, 7 days left in February? Apple: time to step up and either deliver or tell us it's delayed.

Apple Event Happened - Just Linkin Park

Mac Rumors is reporting that the Apple Event, the one we were all hoping would bring the announcement of the SDK and end the omgnoappz saga, happened last night. It was Linkin Park playing a show at an Apple Store. They're also reporting that the dearth of press invites bodes ill for a full-on press event for the launch of the SDK.

In other words, though we've heard that Apple is supposed to still be able to meet their self-imposed February deadline, things are starting to look bleak in terms of their being much more than just the release of the SDK. I hope I'm wrong and that I was wrong in my podcast prediction: that if Apple makes the deadline, we'll just see an SDK released to developers and the iPhone update that allows for apps will take awhile longer.

(Also: Linkin Park is still around and popular? Hunh. I thought all they did was get stalked.)

Apple's Multitouch Patent Offers Hint to iPhone Method?

Mike and I mentioned this in the podcast, briefly, and so here's the full skinny. Apple has filed a patent for basically all the weird and wacky things you might want to do with a multitouch trackpad (of the kind found on the MacBook Air). Basically, the idea is you slap a certain number of fingers down to go into certain modes - 1 finger for standard stuff, 2 fingers for scrolling (plus some switching around for Exposé features), and so on.

The juicy one, though, is the "Thumb plus 2 fingers" section, which shows how you could switch from scrolling around to go into an "Edit" mode -- one where you could select text, copy it, paste it, and so on. Exactly what the doctor ordered for the iPhone.

Also noted on the podcast, but I'll repeat it here: Once Apple manages to add system-level select, cut, and paste to the iPhone, can document editing be far behind?

AppleInsider | Apple filing spills details of advanced multi-touch pads for Macs

Phone different Podcast 12

Two weeks later and we're still waiting for the SDK. Mike talks about what he hopes will come, Dieter about what he fears. Plus we discuss the Tiny Code excitement (lies!) and, yes, Google again too.

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Tiny Code: Just Kidding!

That giant gaping hole you see in my cheek, that would be the result of the hook that KellyTM of Tiny Code used to fish me in. Thankfully, I'm not alone. Turns out that, per this MacRumors post, he was just joking around. Yeah: No 1.1.4. No NDA broken (or ever even signed). No wrist slap. No nothing.

At least the rumors were plausible, right? Oh well, we shouldn't be surprised. With the official SDK so close, it was inevitable that there's be some crazy rumors floated about.

1 in 10 iPhones Unlocked, Used on China Mobile

rener points us to this story: that roughly 400,000 iPhones are showing up on China Mobile's network. That's 1 in 10. That's alotta iPhones:

According to China Mobile, the biggest wireless carrierin China, there were about 400,000 cracked iPhones using its cellular network service at the end of 2007, representing one out of every 10 iPhone shipments announced officially by Apple. - In-Stat - Information Alert

We've treaded lightly on the issue of the iPhone Gray Market and the question of just how many unlocked iPhones are floating about (and why these missing iPhones matter) - but it's time to stop treading lightly and stomp: Apple either needs to get more carriers (especially China Mobile) on board with the iPhone to staunch this wound or they need to finally admit that unlocked iPhones are still sold iPhones and the lost revenue sharing ain't a big deal.

iPhone SDK: 1.1.4, Tiny Code, Drama

[image from phonemag]

My my - some interesting happenings over the weekend. First, iPhone app developer Tiny Code (more on that mysterious link in a moment) pulled their apps off of installer.app, saying the following:

Tiny Code no longer produces fixes or applications for firmware 1.1.3. We can’t say much, but we are working with Apple and with their SDK for the next firmware release and SDK applications and we shouldn’t be missed for long. We will no longer update our Installer.app repo for legality reasons and you should see us soon on iTunes.

They said this at http://tiny-code.com, which if you visit you'll note is now redirected at the iPhone Dev Center. This, it turns out, was something developer "Kelly" did in order to, well, stop the tsunami of questions that followed his statement. It also turns out Apple was none too pleased about the leaks in the above statement.

Leaks? Yep:

1. "shouldn't be missed for long" sounds a lot like "that event that's coming on February 26th"
2. "you should see us soon on iTunes" sounds a lot like "iTunes is definitely going to be the way that these apps get distributed, sold, and installed."
3. Next to the statement above was "Now targeting fw 1.1.4 Alpha 2." Oops.

Each of the three above "leaks" is a surprise to exactly nobody who's been watching the iPhone news with any degree of attention lately, but nevertheless Apple did some hand-slapping, as Kelly explains in this MacRumors forum post

One: Yes, I have a copy of the Apple SDK for the iPhone targeting firmware 1.1.4. Two: Yes, Tiny-Code.com was ordered to be removed from operation by Apple, Inc because by releasing firmware versions and stating I had possession of the firmware and SDK was apparently a violation of the Non-Disclosure Agreement I agreed to when I accepted a copy of the SDK and firmware. Three: Yes I was wrist-slapped by Apple and won't be included in any further firmware beta's or testing/coding.

Yeouch.

Bad Signal? Check your SIM Card

It might not seem very intuitive, but iPhone Atlas is reporting that if you're experiencing bad signal strength on your iPhone, you might want to consider checking that the SIM card is properly seated. They even go so far as to say putting a small piece of scotch tape on the back can help with the connection. I've personally experienced the benefits of using scotch tape on a SIM card on lesser phones, but I've never had a problem with the iPhone.

Other options for boosting signal strength via uncomfortable hacker include: Resetting your phone and even attaching the USB cable as an ad-hoc antenna (ugh).

The iPhone Gray Market

There's a great article over at Newsfactor about the booming iPhone gray market, it appears that unlocked iPhones (of which there are supposedly as many as a million) are coming out of all sorts of crevices in the standard iPhone market. One big source is apparently iPhones that "fall off the truck" directly from the factories in China. That's not the only way they get out, though, turns out that people are using an incredible amount of ingenuity to grab the suckers for reselling on the gray market:

Sometimes, it is as simple as asking friends and family members to tap out their limit, which for individuals is five phones at Apple and three at AT&T. One reseller admits he got a friend to print business cards and pose as a small business owner so as to dupe an Apple Store manager into letting him buy 100 iPhones for his "employees." - Newsfactor

Buyer beware, though. If you're buying it direct from Apple or AT&T, about the only real risk you're taking is a precipitous price drop right after you buy it. If you buy one on the gray market, you never really know. And for the resellers themselves, the number of people trying to defraud them is awfully high, as well.

Google Sees 50 times more iPhone Searches

We've heard it before, Google has an iPhone fixation. Well it's looking like that fixation works both ways - apparently the earlier numbers we saw that said the iPhone was on the web more than any other mobile web browser were, how shall we say it? ....Ridiculously conservative.

Google sees 50 times more web searches from iPhones than they do from any other mobile browser:

Google on Wednesday said it had seen 50 times more searches on Apple‘s iPhone than any other mobile handset, adding weight to the group’s confidence at being able to generate significant revenues from the mobile internet.

“We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again,” Vic Gundotra, head of Google’s mobile operations told the Financial Times at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. - Financial Times

If you still doubt that the iPhone was the #2 smartphone in the US, you can stop now.

Just. Wow.

Review: Smartphone Experts Metal Cover for iPhone

The Smartphone Experts Metal Cover ($14.95) is a slick looking slice of protection for your Apple iPhone. It's a lightweight metal cover that comes in three bright colors.

Read on for the full review

ZiPhone (Finally) Jailbreaks iPhone with a GUI

Two good pieces of good news on this cold Valentine's Day Morning. First, the SDK is still on track to be released this month despite earlier rumors it could be delayed, according to tuaw. Apparently Apple employees are working triple overtime so we can love our iPhones just a little more. Our advice: take tonight off, kids, and love the one you haven't been with just a little more since you've been putting in so many hours.

If you just can't wait for the Apple-approved native app solution, ZiPhone 2.0 had been released, which combined with the convenient and simple interface of iJailbreak means Mac users can unlock without the command line at all. Windows user can just go with ZiPhone, of course, because it's packaged as a .exe file they can click on. [via]

Or you could, you know, put your iPhone down and go buy some flowers.

What's Missing from AppleTV Take 2

Apple has released the software update for the Apple TV that was announced at MacWorld 2008. It offers new features like an improved interface, video rentals direct from the iTunes store, podcasting, and the ability to browse photos from Flickr and .Mac.

I just realized, though, that the update that would actually get me to buy the Apple TV is missing: some sort of real use for that USB port on the back of the device. While many would like it to support an external hard drive (and some have had success doing so with some hacking), that's not the feature that I'd like to see.

What I'd like on the Apple TV is something that I do with my Mac on a daily basis - watch and listen to the media that's stored on my iPhone. I keep my iTunes library at home and sync my music and movies to my iPhone. When I'm at work I plug my iPhone into my work machine and I'm able (since I manually manage my music) to access that media on my computer. Since the Apple TV is essentially a "Mac lite," and can already access iTunes files (and iTunes DRM as well), the problem certainly isn't incompatible media formats or an inability to read the iPod. It seems that the only real limitation here is one of interface. That seems like a fairly small limitation.

There are two other possible limitations, of course. The first is that it's such a "niche" feature that Apple doesn't want to waste resources enabling it. This seems unlikely to me, though, as it would be awfully convenient for my buddy to bring over his iPod or iPhone and we could watch a movie stored on it (granted, of course, that it may not be as high a resolution as we'd like) -- it seems like the sort of thing that wouldn't be that difficult to do and that Apple would happily tout as a feature. The second is that Apple is choosing not to develop this feature either to help Mac sales or because of pressure from music and movie industry execs.

You know what would be even nicer? The ability to transfer a rented movie from the AppleTV to an iPhone.

Tip: Fix your Tags in iTunes

Your iPhone does a better job displaying album and and sorting through all your music than any other device on the planet, past and present. However all that sweet, sweet music on that sweet, sweet interface doesn't do you much good if you don't know what exactly it is you're looking for. We've all had it happen: a friend makes us a mix CD and iTunes can't figure out what's what. Which "Track 2" was that again? Hassle.

iTunes can auto-grab album art, but it can't do it unless it knows which album to grab. Enter in some automated solutions for tagging your music with the proper song, artist, and album names. These little add-ons "listen" to tiny bits of each song and compare them to the MusicBrainz database, then are able to identify the song. Instead of manually punching in everything yourself, you can just have these little programs do all that tiresome work for you.

On the Mac, you'll want to check out iEatBrainz [via TUAW], which was just re-released today in a Universal form. On the PC side of the world, my favorite app is still Picard.

Get iTunes Cleaning!

Apple Making Games for the iPhone?

What does the iPhone lack? Besides the obvious -- 3G, Office Doc editing, the ability to actually make julienne fries -- what the iPhone lacks is games. Real, on-board games. Some of this pain is mitigated by the fact that you can get web-based games (including some great iPhone games by our very own forum member cmaier). Still, though, do you know what the most popular video game on the planet is?

Solitaire. Because it's built into Windows.

So getting native games on the iPhone is a Big Deal because people are much more likely to form an affinity with a device if they can play a game or two on it. I speak from experience -- the most painful part of leaving the PalmOS for me is still the fact that I can't find a crossword application as good as stand alone's. Add the love for the iPhone to love for a device with games and you'll start seeing people getting buried with these little guys.

...All of which is to say that seeing that Apple is extending their trademark to include handheld gaming strikes me as a good sign. Sure, as MacRumors points out, this doesn't mean much -- Apple's been making games for the iPod Classic for awhile now. Still, though, we need games, Apple, please please release a couple when you announce the SDK. Or announce that partnership with EA that we've been hoping for.

Coda: Another reason we need native games (to say nothing of apps): stuff on the web disappears. For example, I just realized that Duck Hunt has shuffled off this series of tubes mortal coil.

Flash Support Coming to iPhone?

So says Gear Live, who claims "reliable sources" tell them that it should be coming "very soon." What about those pesky technical issues that were supposedly keeping us from enjoying embedded YouTube Videos (without the iPhone's YouTube app) and amusing Homestar Runner games directly on the iPhone? Supposedly that was all a big lie, the real issue was on the business side.

Maybe this end-of-February mystery event will be about more than just the SDK?

AT&T takes over Starbucks - iPhone access next?

AT&T announced today that starting this spring they will run Starbucks' 7000 wifi networks in the US. Existing T-Mobile hotspot customers need not worry, as Starbucks made sure that AT&T continues to allow T-Mobile users access free of charge.

Of course, most iPhone users don't use T-Mobile, so AT&T tantalisingly adds that they will "soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its [own] wireless customers." That, and free access for AT&T Uverse (DSL) customers, a huge price drop ($4 for 2 hours, vs. $6/hour, $10 a day on T-Mobile), and 2 hours of free access for all customers who used a Starbucks Card to purchase their drinks, certainly doesn't make this deal seem too shabby.

AT&T Press release Starbucks Press release Photo Credit

Review: Seidio Inno Dock for the iPhone, iPod Touch

The Seidio InnoDock for the iPhone ($39.95) is a straightforward dock with a couple of non-straightforward features. It will charge your iPhone (via USB) and also features an audio-out port. The main feature, though, is that it's able to work with your iPhone in its case - no removal required.

Read on for the full review!

Write for Phone different

Like our sister site, WMExperts, we're looking for writers here at Phone different as well. You may have heard that Mike is now our "Editor Emeritus" during the Phone different Podcast and as a result things are getting awfully lonely around here. Come on, join us, give us some company.

Send an email to jobs@phonedifferent.com with the subject line "Writing for Phone different" and some info in the body:

• What sorts of writing you're interested in. We need reviewers for accessories and software and also regular bloggers.
• A sample blog post or brief (less than 500 words) review (try to show that you can match our snarky-nerd-fanboy tone and/or can be objective in a review)
• Tell us how often you would be able to submit posts or articles

Please just send text email - no attachments or resumes or whatnot. Yes, we're looking to pay you for your efforts and no, our great team of folks who have been posting reviews and blog posts aren't going anywhere.

Apple Event Planned for End of February

This is the month we are supposed to see the unveiling of the iPhone SDK, finally ending all the omgnoappz drama and obviating the need for Jailbreaking for all but the most hardcore of iPhone users. It feels like the wait has taken forever.

Now we see that TUAW is reporting that there will indeed be an Apple event at the end of February. Many are hoping that it will be the release (or at least more details) on the iPhone SDK. Others are hoping for a 3G iPhone announcement -- but that seems much less likely given that Apple just released the 16GB model.

So let's join the bandwagon and assume it'll be an SDK event. Cool. Now the real question, the one that put an icy lump of fear and doubt into our hearts during the last Phone different podcast: what if it's just an announcement of an SDK for developers, that Apple won't let the apps on for another 6 months?

iPhone Marketshare Climbing Fast

We're looking at just over 6 months of sales and the iPhone is rocking the marketshare in the Smartphone category like you wouldn't believe. According to Canalys (whose numbers we've admittedly doubted before, but these results look pretty solid), the iPhone has reached 28% marketshare among Smartphones in the US and 7% worldwide. That puts it at #2 in the US and #3 worldwide. They're even ahead of Motorola.

Also, the iPhone is beating the pants off of the PalmOS (down to 9%) and also Windows Mobile (21%) in the United States. The only question left is whether or not Apple can gain on RIM's imposing 41% share. That will require converting a lot of business users.

Actually, the other question is whether or not Apple can maintain that share without releasing a 3G iPhone in the near future. The drumbeat of analyst, stockholder, and most importantly consumer desire for the 3G iPhone is going to get steadily louder in the coming months.

Canalys [via GearDiary]

SIM Unlock for 1.1.3 iPhone Unleashed, with Caveats

Does it seem like, with each update to the iPhone, it takes longer and longer for Jailbreaks and SIM Unlocks to shake out? Here's the latest for those of you who want both a SIM Unlocked phone and the latest OS from Cupertino - a SIM unlock from Zibri. There's caveats, though, as you can see:

This is Version 1.3 Of anySIM.
This version unlocks baseband 4.03_13_g
It's only for bootblock 3.9 don't use on 4.6
To use it, upgrade the baseband then
put the iPhone in airplane mode and run it !
It works also in JB 113 OS... - Zibri [via]

Short version of the above: unless you're very clear on what exact firmware versions you have loaded on the various radio bit on your iPhone, steer clear.

New iPhone Ads Target Rich, Young, Restless

Apple has posted two more iPhone ads on their site, "Cars" and "Facebook." Both, again, feature the internet features of the iPhone. In "Cars," you not only get to imagine what it's like to stick it to a car salesman with your iPhone, you also get to imagine purchasing an Audi having not even bothered to do any research ahead of time.

"Facebook" shows off what is still the best online "app" for the iPhone around, though the friends of the commercial's hand model aren't nearly as cool as mine.

In any case, the commercials are a return to the classic iPhone commercial format, namely just showing what the sucker is capable of. I applaud the decision, the "On the street" stuff always felt too forced to me.