Tip O' The Week: Fingertip Tricks for Scrolling

Once I finally trained myself to no longer reflexively reach for a stylus on my iPhone, it truly hit me that the world was at my fingertips (warning: pun alert). Flipping through photo albums with the flick of my finger just doesn't get old. Pinching text and photos to fit on the screen or expanding the same with my thumb and index finger was intuitive from the time my iPhone came out of the box.

I like the little things, like tapping the very top of the screen to return to the top of a web page after scrolling down for miles. Conversely, it would be nice to have a similar mechanism for instantly jumping to the bottom, eh?

Read on for more Tapping, Scrolling,

iPhone Risk April Roundup

Well, ladies and gentlemen, here were are at the end of April pretty much exactly where we were at the beginning: 6 iPhone launches on the board representing the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and Austria.

But wait, who's that on deck now, eh? That's right, Canada's Rogers Wireless has officially announced that they're #7, bringing Poppa Jobs' pocket universe dent'er to the Great White North circa "sometime later this year".

Of course, announced and launched are two different things, and no less than 7 other countries, including Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Italy, and Belgium are rumored to be hot on Canada's heels for launching, and bragging, rights.

Quick check of the PhoneDifferent.com scorecard:

Still some slim pickings, but May leads right into WWDC which should kick June, and our little game of iPhone Risk, into high gear. If iPhone 3G drops (especially 25 million of them!), all bets are off and we'll be in for one Jobs of a ride!

So who's next? Canada? One of the rumored other 7? Someone out of the blue? What do you think?

Rumor: RIM's Apple Killer is... er... the iPhone?!

Rumors recently swirled about a super-secret RIM development project affectionately dubbed AK (for Apple Killer) that would help Blackberry not only retain market share in face of the iPhone juggernaut, but regain mind share which has wholly become the property of Apple as of late:

..two independent developers writing software for coming R.I.M. devices say that a touch-screen BlackBerry is in the works, and that R.I.M. engineers privately refer to it as the A.K. — for “Apple Killer.”

Would it be another iClone like the 9000? Would it be the fabled touchscreen Blackberry?

Turns out RIM's Apple Killer might just be... er... the iPhone?

Apple Insider highlights a new "confidential" job posting way up Waterloo way:

"As part of a newly-created team, you’ll influence the development and design of BlackBerry software. This is a very confidential brand new team and a senior position within RIM so I can't provide too many details. I guess you can figure out what it might be about though."

While the position itself calls for Objective C, Cocoa, UI, AJaX, BT, and USB experience, and some have speculated that it could be a serious attempt by RIM to bring some 1st party, Mac native sync capabilities to the email monster, the more interesting rumor-mongers are rumor-mongering RIM apps for the iPhone SDK: Blackberry Connect anyone?

Personally, I don't see RIM losing the one advantage they have, Crackberry addictive "push" email by giving the keys of the kingdom to Apple (though they have made Blackberry Connect for other platforms). Besides, they're already copying the design and flirting with the touchy-feely interface, so why go developer now? Then again, Canadians are a polite people, so who knows?

What do you think?

Phone different Podcast 17

This week on the Phone different podcast we compensate for Mike's absence by bringing on PD Writers Chad Garrett, Brian Hart, and Rene Ritchie. We talk up iPhone 2.0, iPhone 3G, and discuss what's wrong with Canada. Listen in!

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

3G Rumors: iPhone 3G to be Smaller and Lighter?!

Apple Insider brings word that Taiwan Economic News's sources are claiming that:

"[The iPhone 3G] weighs only 110 to 120 grams versus its first generation cousin's 158 grams. Much of the weight reduction is said to have come from a material swap that will see handset adopt a plastic casing instead of aluminum-magnesium one. In addition to weight advantage, the latest version is also more energy efficient and externally smarter. LCD screen on the phone measures 2.8 inches diagonally, a downsize from first generation`s 3.5 inches."

We already covered that Foxxcon may be producing upwards of 25 million of Apple's next generation handset, but this rumor seems to contradict Engadget's insider who claimed we'd be seeing a fatter, not thinner iPhone, and would score one in Chad's column (see the upcoming Phone Different Podcast #17 for background on the Dieter/Chad size throwdown).

And a 2.8" screen? I know I was asking for something higher density than the current 160dpi -- more along the lines of the Nano's 202dpi -- but I was hoping for more pixels, not just tighter. C'mon Apple, give me 720p already!

Besides, trying to type on a vertical soft keyboard that skinny? (And don't even joke about virtual SureType! Yikes!!)

What do you think?

Weekly Web App Review: Flytunes

Looking for Internet radio on your iPhone? Tired of not having built-in FM like Zune owners? Look no further than Flytunes (http://www.flytunes.fm/) for the iPhone! Flytunes is a web-based media player for iPhone and iPod touch that allows you to stream music and talk channels for free!

Flytunes offers some decent features. When you navigate from the top of the screen, you can access a wide variety of channels including: Presets, Alternative, Artists, Classical, Country, Dance, Decades, Easy Listening, Eclectic, Jazz, Kids and Family, Local, Pop, R&B, Rock, Sports, Talk, Urban, Weather, and finally World. Some of these categories have as little as one sub-category, others have as many as twelve sub-categories. Regardless of what you are looking for, Flytunes is likely to have a musical flavor to suit your tastes.

Review: Installer.app, Native App-a-Week

Can’t wait any longer for Native Apps? Me neither. (Late) June seems too far away? I’m with you. So why wait, when you can jailbreak! Over the next couple months before 2.0 is released, I’ll give you guys a glimpse into the jailbroken world of native apps every week. If we don't find anything life-changing, hopefully we’ll learn a few things along the way. Plus: let's face it, Jailbreaking isn't going anywhere. The SDK is awesome, but some people won't settle for anything less than full-on access to all the hidden bits of the iPhone.

Today, we start with another look at the ever-evolving program that is Installer.app. Developed by the guys at Nullriver, Installer.app is the first app you see after jailbreaking. Its main goal is to serve as an outlet for all the rest of the iPhone’s native apps and it has come a long way since we first showed you how to use it. Does it succeed? Is it effective? Can Apple learn something from Installer.app?

Read on for the rest of the review! (and remember you'll need a Jailbroken iPhone to take advantage of this native app)

7 Tips for Better Apple Store Service

Well known consumer-friendly site, the appropriately named Consumerist, brings the confessions of an anonymous Apple Specialist. While these cover everything Apple sells, from Macs to iPods, they certainly apply to the iPhone.

Top tips? If you can't reset or restore your iPod (or iPhone!), it's done. AppleCare extends your warranty, that's it. .Mac and ProCare may not be worth the cash, but One-to-One is a deal. If your item (and iPhone?) is outside the return date, Apple may take it back if it's still sealed, maybe even if it's not. No insider info on unreleased product. And the email survey is your one way ticket to managerial ear-time.

Of course, your mileage, and your individual Apple Store, may vary, so buyer still beware.

Rogers Announces iPhone in Canada!

We're number 7! We're number 7! (OMG 7!!11)

During their Q1 Press Conference Call this week, Rogers Mobile announced that they had finally (finally!) finalized a deal to bring the iPhone to Canada:

"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."

This would make Canada the 7th country to officially announce an iPhone deal, after the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and Austria. (Whether they launch 7th will be another matter...)

Now, I can't say Phone Different bringing attention to this matter just last week played any role in the big announcement (El Jobso, are you reading us right now?), but it is quite a coincidence, n'est ce pas? ;)

In any event, if this pans out, I'll be ecstatic. Heck, I might even sing! (mercifully after the break...)

ChangeWave Survey: A Closer Look at the iPhone

Do you remember that ChangeWave Survey back in March? It essentially 'discovered' that the Cell Phone customer satisfaction/popularity contest/war was a two-horse race between, you guessed it, Apple and RIM. Following up on their initial survey, this time ChangeWave tries to determine why their customers are so satisfied with their iPhones/Blackberries.

Alot of things on the 'Favorites List' are pretty predictable. E-Mail was an astounding 'Most Favorite' for Blackberry while the synergy of phone, iPod, and web browser was Number 1 for the iPhone. Taking a quick glance at the numbers, it seems that the iPhone's 'Favorite List' is more well-rounded compared to the Blackberry's. (Or maybe it just means Blackberry's e-mail is just that good. I'll let you guys decide.)

However, an interesting thing to note is that 27% of iPhone users determined that the Touch Screen Interface was actually their FAVORITE thing about the iPhone while 11% of Blackberry Users thought that the Blackberry keypad was their LEAST favorite thing. I understand comparing one iPhone to the entire lineup of Blackberry is like comparing apples to oranges (I'll spare you one cheesy pun), but it goes to prove that Apple has done a great job in effectively ridding the keyboard and is leading the way to phone different (sorry I couldn't help myself).

Oh, and the top 2 wishes for the iPhone? 3G Capability and Third Party Software. June can't come soon enough.

Happy Birthday iTunes!

The iPhone comes in 8GB and 16GB. That's a lot of capacity fill. And where do we get content enough to fill that capacity? No, not the torrentz (JAR!) -- iTunes!

5 years ago, Apple realized that if they wanted to sell iPods, they needed to give people stuff to load onto those iPods. Now, what originally began as a Mac-only 200,000 song sparkle in the eye of Steve Jobs, has grown into the cross-platform (except for Linux!), multi-billion track served (some even DRM-free!), #1 music retailer, not to mention the foundation pillar of podcasts, with nearly a gazillion free audio (including our very own Phone Different Podcast!) and video programs there for the downloading.

Happy birthday, iTunes. And here's to many more.

(And let's work on getting the recording industry to give us the rest of those tracks DRM-free, and on some international movie and television content, b'okay?)

3G Rumors: Foxxcon to Build 25 Million iPhone 3G's?!

Engadget (via Commercial Times) adds to the 3G rumor heap with this doozie:

Foxconn (aka, Hon Hai) -- the maker of the 1st gen iPhone -- is ramping up 3G iPhone assembly by "the end of May" to ship 3 million units in June. It's expected to produce some 24-25 million units before the product reaches end of life.

June is rapidly becoming the bell of the release-prediction ball, especially with an almost certain Steve Jobs Keynote smack in the beginning of the month. If Jobs storms the stage at WWDC, 3G iPhone in hand, will 3 million units be enough to satisfy the rabid demand of early adopters, especially in Europe? And with Jobs having said he'd sell 10 million iPhone's from launch in June 2007 to end of 2008, is 25 million pie-in-the-sky dreaming for 2009, or the sign of massive international rollout to come?

What do you think?

iPhone 2.0: Mobile iChat to Jibber With Jabber?

TUAW's code-scouring tipster is back with rumors on what could be found in an Apple iChatMobile app, and it's set to jibber with some Jabber:

[a] new XMPP framework has been spotten in the latest iPhone firmware. XMPP refers to the open source standard developed by the Jabber community for instant messaging. Remember back in March when Apple announced it would support native instant messaging? In a nutshell, it looks like Apple's new iPhone-based chat will be built on Jabber/XMPP. [...] Unfortunately, we're told that this XMPP support remains in a private framework and will not be available to 3rd party SDK developers.

How (and if) this fits in with the recently discovered Apple chat-related patent filing, and/or (double if) the AOL concept demo from the SDK event, is anyone's guess at this point, but one thing's for certain: it's getting interesting in iPhone IM land!

iPhone 2.0: iTunes iController?

One of the features I most want for the iPhone is the ability to use it as a Wi-Fi remote for iTunes (and related services like Front Row or the Apple TV). Sitting back, multi-touch flicking through lists of content, finding something interesting, tapping, and -- boom -- having it "just work" on my TV or Mac would be Jobsian perfection.

Well, if TUAW's latest rumor pans out, Apple may be about to deliver, well... not exactly that, but something just as cool:

Apple is working on a new iPhone application called iControl. Like Apple TV and other remote controllers, it would allow the iPhone to connect wirelessly to local iTunes libraries and browse through and play media from those sources. TUAW is told that a media navigator will allow you to view videos, play podcasts, listen to music and even support shuffle playback.

As is increasingly the case, the rumor comes via deep delving into the latest firmware and discovering all sorts of interesting localization strings. Whether this means we'll just be able to play iTunes content on the iPhone as though it were a mobile Apple TV, or if I'll be getting my dream iTunes/Front Row/Apple TV remote control via the iPhone as well, we'll have to wait and see.

And I really am finding it harder and harder to wait. How about you?

This Week in Smartphone Schadenfreude, April 26th Edition

Not evil twin to Phone Different Week in Review, not an invasion by Fake Steve, This Week in Smart Phone Schadenfreude brings you all the feel-better news you need about the smartphone world outside Apple's current media dominator. (Who knew there was such a world? We were just as surprised! Inelegant, interface challenged, keyboardy, crashy, single-touchy place -- best not to linger...). Join us as we mock review the big news from last week at our sister sites. Everybody loves sibling rivalry!

Rumor: Apple to License Haptic Feedback?

Take this with a grain of salt roughly the size of a tanker truck, but Palluxo is claiming that Apple is in talks to license Immersion's haptic feedback technology for the iPhone:

A source (Apple Inc employee), who chose to remain anonymous, told us that senior executives of the two companies have already met once on Tuesday and the next meeting has been scheduled for Friday morning. The source confirmed that the executives will continue discussions over licencing and implementation issues of iPhone haptics.

Haptic technology involves using vibrations and similar feedback to give the impression of tactile feedback (i.e., it makes pushing a button drawn with pixels feel more like pushing a real, hardware button).

While competitors have been vocal about adopting haptics, Apple has been characteristically mute on the issue, though Steve Jobs famed dislike for buttons (witness the turtleneck) may no doubt be a factor :)

There are, however, already some Apple patents on file which address the issue.

Personally, I'll believe it when it's shown off on stage at a Jobsnote. What do you think?

"Leaked" Photo of 3G iPhone a Fake

Remember that glossy, all black 3G iPhone that's been out in the wild? Well turns out..not quite. According to Gizmodo, the picture that's been making way all over the interweb has been reported to be just a case made available over in Hong Kong. Though Engadget's sources had pointed toward an all-black exterior (with chrome buttons. ugh.) and the 'leaked' picture seemed to corroborate with that report, it looks like the 3G iPhone still hasn't been seen.

I'm as much a fan of the black exterior as anybody but I just can't imagine Apple stepping away from their famed metal/aluminum/silver. And with reports of the MacBook moving toward an aluminum casing and the iMac being re-designed with heavy usage of metal and silver, an all-black iPhone wouldn't quite fit with the rest of the product line.

Simon Says SDK Not OK. And Simon's Wrong.

John Gruber and the Macalope have made an artful science out of reasonably, logically, and methodically skewering the most pathetic punditry and junky journalism surrounding Apple and the iPhone.

Case in point is Gruber's recent and rather succinct dismantling of Simon Brocklehurst's complaint that Apple chose Objective C as the language behind the SDK. And while he certainly doesn't need my help, there are a few points I'd like to add.

First, anyone (but especially Simon) who thinks Apple just now (or even recently) decided to create an SDK for the iPhone knows little about SDKs and less about the polish and maturity easily observed in even the beta SDK Apple released at their special Roadmap event. The briefest look at actual developer blogs and tweets -- including developers with substantial experience in jailbroken iPhone apps -- would see the flood of remarks on the maturity of the beta SDK. Bottom line, if Apple hadn't been planning the SDK for a long time (perhaps since the launch itself) they have a hidden supply of killer engineers capable of truly mind-boggling delivery.

Second, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, while I don't know anything about Brocklehurst's background, quoting Jonathan Schwartz indicates some level of Java-centricity. By serendipitous contrast, I just this week had a conversation with a developer at work who was being brought onto a new project. Since he'd recently done a lot of C++ and PHP, he was looking for a new language with which to stretch his skills. He wanted to try Ruby or Python, wanted to see what Rails could do. Gruber's right, good programmers can (and want to) program and can (and want to) stretch themselves to do it (even when it's not so far a stretch). Good programers who want to make good iPhone apps won't think twice about adding Objective C to their skill set.

Third, the iPhone/iPod halo is clearly helping Apple gain traction in their Mac market, and there's no reason to think the iPhone SDK won't help Apple gain traction for Objective C and Cocoa via Cocoa Touch. Apple has shown time and time again -- to the point of frustration on some occasions -- that it is a future thinking company. Getting a bunch of convenience-oriented programmers now by putting out a Java or C++ iPhone SDK pales to insignificance when compared to the mindshare Apple could gain by delivering a powerful, delightful Object C/Cocoa Touch development environment (and experience) to the uber-keen developers of the next generation, whose newfound skills -- and more importantly, tastes -- will flow right back into the Mac and future Apple products.

While Apple certainly fumbles the ball on occasion, this time they look to be smashing their way clear to a touchdown.

Sorry Simon.

Rumor: Canadian iPhone On the Horizon?

Fear not Rene, it looks like a legit iPhone (not that other thing) is finally coming in all its glory to our neighbors to the north. According to their sources, The Star is reporting that an iPhone deal between Rogers and Apple is close to being done and that it may change the landscape of Canadian Telcos. We won’t even mention the fact that an iPhone in RIM’s playground would add yet another layer to an immensely entertaining battle between RIM and Apple..

Though there are still obvious obstacles such as the fact that Rogers is “not a fan of unlimited plans” and that Apple’s number one priority is such unlimited data, it seems like the clock is ticking for Rogers to make a deal. However, with a 3G version just around the corner, could you imagine the Canadian angst of knowing that their “new” iPhone is already a generation old?

What do you say Canadians (read: Rene)? Do you have faith in Rogers to pull this off? Or will you be stuck with those exorbitant data costs until who knows when?

Phone Different Week in Review April 25, 2008

Every week I will be bringing you what I think are the week’s biggest stories and articles. Here we go!

So just how many countries are going to get the next iPhone anyway?

India seems to be the newest member of “What country is getting the iPhone next”. It seems like a new pops up every day. Who is the newest member? India.

Flash and Silverlight make Safari crash?

You need Safari for this? Just kidding.

iPhone 3G: Rumored Hands-On?

Chad brought us a look at the rumored back-in-black iPhone 3G a while ago, and now Engadget claims to have some confirmation!

So we've got it on authority that the second-gen iPhone is already well into testing, and numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets. A trusted source got a chance to check one out.

According to Engadget's source, the iPhone 3G is roughly the same size and shape, has GPS for realz, the glossy black backing we see in the pic, chromed up volume buttons, no removable battery ('natch), flush(!) headphone jack, same screens size and resolution (what? where's my Nano-res 200dpi 640x480?!)

July is rumored, but who outside the jobspod knows for sure?

In ur SDK: Sun Still Brewing Java... Sorta...

Daring Fireball, via Digital Arts, brings word that Sun hasn't stopped trying to bring a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to the iPhone even though:

Apple has not been publicly receptive to having Java on its popular new device. There have been questions about whether Apple's iPhone SDK agreement would permit this. The JVM potentially could sidestep Apple's App Store program for dispensing iPhone applications.

[I]nitially targeted at games publishers. Now in a beta release, alcheMo for iPhone can be used to port Java ME mobile games to iPhone and iPod touch without the need for further manual adjustments. The product features an optimizing translator to convert Java ME application source code to equivalent source code for iPhone, according to the Innaworks press statement on the product.

While Apple's Cocao Touch development sounds like a more chocolaty, and much sweeter beverage than Java, Sun sure does seem determined. Of course, determination has a tendency to crash and explode in Matrix-like bullet time when it strikes up against the Zen-like immovability of one Steven P. Jobs.

I don't think we'll be seeing the steaming coffee mug on the iPhone any time soon. You?

Oh, Canada: My Home and iPhone-less Land

It's morning; the dull Canadian sun seeps in through the blinds and the alarm sounds on my iPhone. I flip over, swipe to silence, grab the phone from off the side table, and quickly check my email for anything urgent. The weather widget shows clear skies, Twitter is abuzz with the latest SDK updates, and PhoneDifferent.com tells me Apple made a bit of money this year. Closing the browser, I flip on a podcast for some easy-learning and try to decide whether the day needs facing.

Sounds pretty normal, right? Actually, it's still pretty revolutionary, really. One device to rule them all, as the meme goes. The iPhone. Apple’s gift to the mobile world. And something that, as a Canadian, I can't legitimately own or use.

Biggest NAFTA- and Free Trade-powered partner, friendliest borders in the world, and seemingly endless source of hot singers and gifted comedians, and while we Canadians can buy every other bit of gear Apple produces, we get absolutely no iPhone love.

Why is that exactly? Read on.

3G Blackberry Waiting on 3G iPhone?

In another round of the RIM vs Apple bout for smartphone supremacy, Scenta reports that RIM may be stalling their 3G Blackberry because of the impending release of the 3G iPhone. Though Fortune suggests that it is a technical glitch that is causing the delay, some rumor mongers are assuming that RIM is holding out on releasing the 3G Blackberry dubbed the 9000..er..8900.er.."Meteor" because it's afraid of competing head-to-head with Apple's next iPhone.

Admittedly, this rumor could just be analysts stirring news against RIM, but it goes to show how far Apple has come in becoming a player in the cell phone market. And if there is some truth to this speculation, its another knock on RIM and the rest of the smartphone industry. Innovating has never been their strong suit, copying innovation, well that's another issue.

Apple/PA Semi: Possible Reasons and Military Fallout

Following Apple's acquisition of PA Semi yesterday, and some of the early theories surrounding it, comes word on reaction to the deal, and some more theories as to how Apple may leverage its new technology.

First up, Apple Insider (via EETimes) points out that the Palo Alto semiconductor design firm warned existing companies that:

[A] buyout by a then-unnamed company was entirely disconnected from its existing and future architectures

This bit of news, which is interpreted to mean Apple did not buy the company for its energy efficient PowerPC-based chip designs, wouldn't be using them in upcoming products, and may not continue with previous roadmaps, has sent ripples through PA Semi's current customer base (which includes military juggernauts Lockheed Martin and Raytheon).

Next, Roughly Drafted delves deep into the purchase and comes up with the following: the ability to differentiate their products by developing proprietary hardware components (e.g. for video acceleration, something already prepared for via Core Services), making it harder for others to copy (and clone?) their offerings, while simultaneously getting engineers that specialize in areas Apple values (low level, energy efficient), and have relationships (RD conjectures Texas Instruments, which invested in PA, manufactures their designs) that could benefit Apple.

[P]owered by Intel processors, Apple has seen phenomenal growth in Mac unit sales. That has helped the company amass a $19 billion cash pile that allowed Apple to snatch up the team at PA Semi at a bargain basement price in the midst of a recession. Apple is having its cake and eating it too.

What do you think?

iPhone 2.0 SDK Beta 4: Interface Builder Unleashed

No reports of Pink Screens of Death this time, but Apple has released the fourth version of their SDK (5A258f), which weighs in at a beefy 1.15GB (200+MB for firmware) and according to TAUW (via Apple Developer Connection) sports:

Xcode IDE, iPhone simulator with Open GL ES support, Interface Builder, Instruments, frameworks and samples, compilers, and Shark analysis tool.

In addition, code-signing is now enforced, Audio Toolbox was big-upped, NSXML parser was introduced, fonts were given some pro love, and -- teasingly -- the UIApplication delegate class is now rumored to have Springboard Icon badging and some way to get and release "active status". TAUW speculates this may allow some form of background functionality for Apps! (Wishful thinking?)

Go get 'em developers. Especially you deep-code-digging developers who find all sorts of goodies hidden in the strings.

Tip O' The Week: What's on TV?

I remember well the days of yore when I had a whopping 5 channels to choose from for my viewing pleasure. Now before you start doing some quick math and send me Geritol for my birthday, I was just a wee lad then. Although I didn't have much in the way of choices, I made sure to never miss an episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man", re-runs of "Star Trek", and a generous helping of "Sesame Street" and "Electric Company". I also had to (gasp!) actually GET UP off the couch, WALK to the t.v., and MANUALLY change the channel! Ahhhh, those were the days.

Times have certainly changed. The average home now has about 114 channels to choose from. I switched to DirectTV recently and I get lost in the maze of menus and virtual cornucopia of channels and programming to choose from. You may be wondering what all of this may have to do with your iPhone. HARK! There is a handy AOL site designed just for the iPhone that can help you navigate the ever-expanding universe of televised entertainment!

Interesting iPhone Tidbits in Apple's Financial Report

Apple outperformed their initial forecast in the second quarter posting profits of $1.05 billion, or $1.16 per share. Selling, 1.7 million iPhones, 2.2 million Macs, and 10.6 million iPods, total revenue was reported at $7.51 billion. Amidst all the financial (read: dry) news, Apple did drop some interesting tidbits via conference call with financial analysts and members of the media (via AppleInsider):

• Over a third of the companies the Fortune 500 have signed on as developers for the iPhone
• Over 200,000 people have downloaded the SDK
• Apple beat its own internal forecast for iPhones thus resulting in shortages
• Apple is aware of the demand to unlock and resell, claiming this is a snapshot of worldwide demand
• Revenue for the iPhone (starting March 6th, SDK announcement) will be deferred until the 2.0 update ships
• International Carriers are free to price the iPhone as they wish

Overall, it seemed to be a pretty good financial quarter for Apple. The iPod is still selling strong and its 'halo effect' on the Mac is still shining. As Apple releases an update to the iPhone, it'll be easy to reach their lofty goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.

iPhone Risk: Belgium 3G Bound?

Another day, another iPhone International rumor, this one from Ars Technica (via astel.be) pegging the iPhone 3G to arrive in Belgium sometime between May and June.

Quick check of the scorecard, should this be true:

Says Ars:

The report indicates that Belgian carriers Proximus, Mobistar and BASE are putting together special iPhone data packages which should include compatibility with the Visual Voicemail feature as well as unlimited data transfer. It's also noted that an exclusive deal like the one Apple has with AT&T in the US would violate trade laws in Belgium.

And a quick recap, as the lineup continues to grow with Italy, India, Singapore, the Netherlands and Mexico, and Australia also in the running for the next great iPhone release.

Who's your money on?

Review: Case-Mate Universal Privacy Screen Pro for iPhone

Ever wish you could keep prying eyes away from your iPhone? Always paranoid that strangers can read all your sensitive e-mails, bank account information, and stock portfolios? Well here’s the solution: the Case-mate Universal Privacy Screen Pro for iPhone ($19.95). It prevents those snoopy people from peering over your shoulder and keeps your information private by offering a viewing angle of 45 degrees.

Read on for the rest of the review!

More on Apple/PA Semi

Following up on Casey's story this morning about Apple buying chip designer PA Semi, Valleywag (yeah, I went there...) brings another possible angle to the "yeahbuwhy?" table:

[The PA Semi chip's suitability for the iPhone] may well have nothing to do with why Apple bought the company. PA Semi's prize is its founder, Dan Dobberpuhl, a famed chip designer, and his 150-person staff. At less than $2 million per engineer, the price Apple paid is in the range Cisco pays to snap up talented engineers. With them working at Apple, Jobs can push established chipmakers to adopt its technical innovations and perhaps swap licenses for intellectual property. That's far more likely than actually switching away from Intel chips for the Mac; Apple actually explored using PA Semi's chips before choosing Intel. Even the iPhone, which would benefit more from PA Semi's low-power chips, is an unlikely candidate for an all-new chip design. Why? Volume economics favor Intel and Samsung so strongly that it's hard to imagine that a new microprocessor design from the PA Semi team could replace their wares. $278 million doesn't buy Jobs a rival chip; it buys him a tool to chip away at his suppliers' prices.

Of course, other angles remain actually using the chip design (though PA Semi does not manufacture their own chips, meaning someone with a fab, like Intel, would still be needed), licensing the technology/technologies to someone like Intel to produce proprietary chips to differentiate Apple offerings (and make life harder for Hackintosh'ers??), or just to beef up the patent portfolio and put a little fear into Intel to, as Valleywag put it, increase their bargaining position.

Personally, getting the engineers and licensing the tech makes the most sense to me at this point, but who knows if come Macworld 2009, El Jobso will pull the back off a 4G iPhone to reveal a brush-metal PA Semi chip glittering inside? What do you think?

Sony to Purchase Gracenote (iTunes Music Tagging Database)

Daring Fireball (via Reuters) brings word that Sony has agreed to purchase Gracenote for $260 million plus "considerations".

Why should iPhone owners care? Gruber sums it up:

Gracenote owns the CDDB database iTunes uses to supply song and album names for CDs you rip. $260 million sounds like a lot to me, but at least now Sony can claim to have something to do, however tangential, with a popular portable digital music player.

So, any time you want to add your own CD music to your iPhone, Gracenote is the place that provides all the metadata you need to properly label them (artist, track, album, etc.)

Sony seems to be keeping the company fairly independent for now, but like the Amazon deal to acquire Audible, it certainly represents another competitor buying a piece of the greater iTunes content pie. Is Apple okay with that, or are they already looking into alternatives (and if not, should they be?) What do you think?

Apple Buys PA Semi To Use in iPhone?

According to Forbes, Apple has acquired the boutique microprocessor design company PA Semi for $287 million. Known for their energy-efficient yet powerful chips, initial reaction points to Apple using the PA Semi-designed microprocessors in the iPhone.

As innovative as Apple is in software, relying on other companies to provide the hardware is allowing the cellphone stragglers ample time to catch up. Currently, the iPhone is using an ARM processor built by Samsung and with so many 'iPhone Killers' being brought to the market, it's safe to say that Apple is trying to stay ahead of the pack by remaining unique in their hardware architecture.

If anybody remembers PA Semi, it's because Apple initially contacted them about using their chips in Macs after leaving PowerPC and before settling on Intel. Though Forbes reports that it would be at least a year before PA Semi chips start to show up in Apple products, it does set up an interesting dilemma for Apple. Intel has been pushing their 'Atom' chip toward Apple, but with this PA Semi deal, it would seem as if Apple is going to pass. Which means the iPhone and Mac line are going to diverge even further. Not even to mention the software nightmare it might create for iPhone developers.

But I think this is a good thing for Apple. They are beginning to round into the Apple, inc. that they had promised and it should mean more products for us. And though Old Faithful Mac Addicts might disagree and think Apple is overextending themselves, I believe this deal allows Apple to continue their uniqueness as a company who provides both the hardware and software in their products.

o2 Sells Out, AT&T Cashes In

The United States and England are countries separated by one ocean and two languages, or so they say. Yet Apple Insider reports good tidings for both sides of the pond this week.

First up, the recent price cuts on the 8GB iPhone in the UK seems to have had the desired effect, with both Carphone Warehouse and O2 retail stores experiencing increased demand -- and even selling out of Apple's revolutionary mobile phone.

AT&T, meanwhile, boasted of a 22% increase in profits and the addition of 1.3 million new subscribers.

Boom indeed...

Patent Watch: Mobile iChat Touch Cometh?

Ever-watchful Apple Insider brings word on yet another Apple patent drop. This one, published in March, sets the stage for the long anticipated -- nay, demanded -- Mobile iChat application.

Though the iPhone already includes a somewhat similar, though carrier-bound, SMS app, the need to move away from device-modal technologies (i.e. phone to phone) to more open protocols (i.e., phone to computer to console, etc.) like Instant Messenger is compelling. In answer, Apple has proposed an interface that builds on the SMS app in significant ways:

[T]he ability to start new messages by searching through the contact list or typing the first few letters of someone's name. Users can also see a past chat history and remove individual conversations from the list. [...] [A] dedicated text field for entering new messages, another would have typed text appear directly in a new message bubble and would replace the text entry box with a list of suggested words.

While the patent could still, technically, be used for SMS or MMS, Apple Insider maintains the former is not mention, while IM is captioned on the image filings.

Personally, I'd love me some first party (multi-tasking?) IM. But how does this relate to the already demoed AOL app? The two work together on the desktop, does that portent a mobile relationship as well? Or is Apple planning on running over them here?

Of course, this could also join the enormous heap of Apple patents that have yet to find any real world application.

What do you think?

Weekly Web App Review: AOL Search for iPhone

Looking for an alternative search for your iPhone? Though not “built in”, AOL’s mobile search optimized for iPhone is surprisingly good. Let’s take a look at what makes it so good!

It’s Pretty

When you search in Google, specifically Google Mobile for iPhone, you have a neat feature: it gives you suggestions as you type. After that, I don’t think that Google mobile does anything specifically well, other than meaningful searches. This is what sets AOL search apart from its competition, it displays the results well. Its closest competitor, Yahoo One Search renders poorly on the iPhone in my opinion, the fonts are too large among other issues. The AOL search experience feels right.

Information is broken into sections. Let’s see how a simple search for “movies” is rendered after I have set my default location.

3G Rumors: iFlips, iSlides, and iTablets - Oh My?!

Ars Technica (via Times Online) is joining the ranks of "we don't believe it and hate all the rumors, but we just gotta report this one..." (Welcome!) with a report citing the ever mysterious "industry insiders" and the equally obtuse "Asian Analysts" as saying:

[T]he next-generation iPhone will come in different form-factors, including possibly a flip-phone, a sliding model with a QWERTY keyboard, or even a model with a larger screen. Can anyone say, "iTablet?"

Ars rightly points out, however, that Apple post-Second Coming of El Jobso has embraced a Zen-like minimalism in their form factors. Indeed, almost everything nowadays is a rounded square box or rectangular slab of some sort. So, while anything's possible -- like the next Jobsnote being conducted in a button-down shirt -- I'm filing this one in the "how 'bout nooo!" pile for now. What do you think?

iPhone Risk: Italia Independant! 3G Senza Una Lock-In?

Engadget, via typically credible Italian newspaper La Repubblica, reports that a 3G iPhone will be coming soon to Telecom Italia, and what's more: without carrier or contract lock-in.

Ch-ch-ch-che?

First, a quick look at our scoreboard, if this be true:

Next, Apple Insider brings some details:

[A] formal agreement on the matter was signed last week when Franco Bernabè, chief executive officer of TIM's parent company Telecom Italia, met with Steve Jobs at Apple's Cupertino-based headquarters. Under the terms of the deal, TIM will reportedly receive a several month exclusive on sales of a 3G