July 2009 Archives
Apple's rolling out an update to the iPhone OS, version 3.0.1, to address an SMS vulnerability demonstrated lat the Black Hat conference yesterday. The text messaging flaw (something to do with invisible SMS bursts) has the potential to allow others to hijack not just your iPhone but the handsets of all the folks in your address book as well. The guys who demoed the vulnerability at Black Hat said they told Apple about it a month ago.
Today's firmware update from Apple finally fixes it, however. Here's Apple's statement on the matter:
We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms. This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we've issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what's been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.
The iPhone OS 3.0.1 update is, at 280MB, a rather large one.
Meanwhile, Apple is prepping the next major iPhoen OS update, firmware 3.1, which is said to be due for release in September. The iPhone OS SDK 3.1 beta 3 is already in the hands of developers. Like the current update, it supports all versions of the iPhone, but also the iPod touch.
The other day, after upgrading an iPhone to OS 3.0, I noticed something peculiar yet welcome: while waiting in line at a Starbucks, my iPhone automatically logged into the café chain’s AT&T-supported Wi-Fi network. I didn't have to do anything. No entering my cell phone number, getting a text message, and clicking the link like I had to do before. The same proved true at another AT&T hot spot in McDonalds.
Turns out I'm not the only one who's having an easier time connecting to AT&T hot spots thanks to latest iPhone firmware, which removes the cumbersome two-step authentication process of previous iPhone operating systems. This past quarter, during which Apple released the major iPhone platform upgrade, AT&T saw 15 million users connecting to its 20,000 public hot spots, a nothing-to-sneeze-at 41 percent increase from the previous quarter.
According to AT&T, the new auto-connect feature is established once a customer connects their iPhone to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot the first time. It is something the carrier was keen on offering its customers.
After all, by allowing folks to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi takes a lot of pressure off of its 3G network. About 42 percent of iPhone wireless usage is over Wi-Fi.
"Auto-authentication makes it even easier for iPhone customers to stay connected on the nation's fastest 3G network and the nation's largest Wi-Fi network," said AT&T Mobility president and CEO Ralph de la Vega in a statement. "With access to our U.S. hotspots, customers are receiving a great value, with a fast, reliable broadband connection virtually anywhere, through 3G or Wi-Fi."
In addition to iPhoners, AT&T allows many of other BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc. smartphone and laptop users to access Wi-Fi for free, as long as they sign up for a qualifying wireless plan.
49 percent of those who connected to AT&T's hot spots lat quarter did so over a smartphone. "Our Wi-Fi network is a competitive differentiator for AT&T and a major value for our customers," said AT&T Mobility chief marketing officer David Christopher, in a statement. "We include unlimited Wi-Fi access with the majority of our broadband and smartphone plans, and our customers are clearly taking advantage of it. It’s another reason that twice as many smartphone customers choose AT&T than any other carrier."
In all, AT&T says it as surpassed 25.6 million Wi-Fi connections this year, about 20 million more than the previous year.
In addition to Starbucks and McDonalds, AT&T delivers Wi-Fi service through many other restaurants as well as airports, hotels, universities, convention centers, sports centers, and bookstores, including Barnes & Nobel locations.
Apple's announcement early this year that it would no longer take part in MacWorld, led to much speculation as to where its rock star CEO would make his annual must-attend keynote address in January 2010. CES seemed like a logical alternative, but there has been no confirmation on the part of Cupertino, which has long been unresponsive to invitations from the CEA (the organization behind CES) to attend the event.
Well, last week, a posting at The Wall Street Journal Web site said Apple would be attending CES and, low and behold, Steve Jobs was set to speak.
This news sent the Apple faithful into tizzy of joy.
Unfortunately, the report was full of inaccuracies, leading to the post being corrected.
Turns out Steve Jobs has been invited to speak, but hasn’t answered yes or no yet. Even if he wants to do a keynote address, is the Apple CEO even up to it? After all, he recently returned to Apple after several months off to receive a liver transplant.
Furthermore, to add insult to injury, Apple as whole hasn't decided whether or not it would take part in CES yet. And, even if they did say yes, at this late date only a small space would be available to them for the exhibition.
Needless to say, Apple fans are extremely upset with The Journal for fanning their expectations, only have them dashed a short time later. See here for more on this story.
Serenade is a new iPhone and iPod touch app from a company called Crist Drive—a reference to the Jobs family garage where Apple was founded 33 years ago—hat allows you to share tracks you're listening to with others. With a tap, according to the developer, you can send a song via Twitter and email or copy the song information so you can paste it anywhere else. Along with your message, Serenade adds a link to your song so your friends can listen to a preview and, if they choose, buy it from iTunes. The app is free and available here.
iConcertCal for the iPhone, previously available for the desktop, is a cool new app for music fans like myself. Like the dekstop edition, the iPhone version of iConcertCall plugs into iTunes to bring you a personalized concert calendar to keep you informed of when your favorite bands are playing in your city. According to the developers:
If any of the artists in your music library are playing in your area, they will automatically show up in a "My Shows" list. A separate list called "All Shows" will let you browse through any and all concerts in your city.
Each concert listing has:
• links to purchase tickets
• an email option to send a reminder to yourself or to alert your friends about a concert
• a built in map to the venue with directions
• a preview button that will allow you to listen to what each of the bands sound like to help you decide if you want to go
The application goes for $2.99 and is available here at the App Store.
Google released a version of its VoIP and call routing applications, Google Voice Mobile and Voice, for RIM BlackBerry and its own Android smartphone platform a couple of weeks ago. It appeared ready to do the same for the iPhone. Unfortunately for iPhone users, Apple won't let that happen. It has rejected both apps for inclusion in the iTunes App Store.
Why did Apple do this? Because, according to Cupertino, the programs duplicate functionality of the iPhone. The thing is they don't, not really.
Here's what they do:
Google Voice lets you use your handset to access and manage mulitiple inboxes, originate and send text messages and voice calls from your Google Voice number (allowing you to have single number for all your phones), make local and low-priced international calls, and customize how calls are managed. The service fully integrates with each phone's contacts, so you can make calls right from your smartphone's address book.
The app is pretty flexible. So, for example, you can route all your calls, only internationals, or no calls at all through the Android version of Google Voice. And, in the edition for RIM phones, you can use the native BlackBerry dialer to avoid placing calls through the service.
Sure, some of these functions (such as calling and SMS) are similar to what AT&T offers. None are exactly the same, however. Neither text messaging nor voice calling is offered for free to iPhoners through AT&T or Apple, for instance. Nor does either company provide a service that integrates multiple phones and phone lines the way Google Voice does.
Consequently, the Google Voice apps promised to bring a great deal of convenience and savings to iPhone owners, as they surely will to BlackBerry and T-Mobile G1 users.
So, in essence, what Apple did was reject an application and service that had the potential to cannibalize the profits of its carrier partners, some of which offer Android phones and all of which offer BlackBerry models. The carriers will need to put up with Google Voice for those smartphone platforms, won't they?
In related news, shortly after rejecting Google Voice, Apple proceeded to remove other apps that it say duplicate iPhone features. One of these programs, VoiceCentral from Riverturn, had been available through the App Store for four months, before getting kicked out. VoiceCentral brought Google's GrandCentral and Google Voice services to the iPhone.
Worst of all, according to the company's CEO, Apple refuses to give him a reason (other than duplicate features) for the decision or explain what his company can do to get its app back on the App Store. See here for a paraphrased transcript of Riverturn's understandably frustrating exchange with Apple.
Bottom line: Apple's decisions is nice for AT&T and the other iPhone operators. It is a disservice to its own customers, however.
See the video below for an overview of how Google Voice works. It'll give you an idea of what iPhone users will be missing due to Apple's rejection.
[via geek.com]
The satirists at The Onion poked a little fun at the expense of iPhoners and Apple customers in general yesterday. It published a report hyping a brand new iPhone—nope, not the iPhone 3G S, the iPhone 3GI.
What does the "I" stand for? Why "invisible" of course.
The picture above, taken from The Onion, shows Steve Jobs introducing the new tech toy at during one of his legendary (this time imaginary, however) keynote addresses. In the article, the Apple CEO points out only "truly savvy" Apple customers can see the device. One customer even points out the "the selection of colors is amazing."
See here to read the article, titled: Apple Claims New iPhone Only Visible To Most Loyal Of Customers.
The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority is standing by Apple's assertion that its App Store is better than Google's Android Market. The claim was made in a television ad that some people who use the search giant's mobile platform for the smartphone took umbrage with.
"Because Apple had shown there were far more applications available for the iPhone than the G1 phone, and user experience of the iPhone and the App Store was distinct from its competitor, we concluded that the claim 'only on the iPhone' was justified and not misleading," the ASA said in its ruling, as reported by TUAW.
There's something to be said, as the U.K. watch dog says, for offering users over 50,000 apps, as Apple does for the iPhone, to Google's 2,100 or so applications for 'gPhones' like the G1 from T-Mobile.
See here for the full story. Check out the offending (yet accurate) ad here.
Try bookmarking or saving Mobile by CitySearch to your iPhone's home screen the next time you go on a business trip. It promises to help you find places to eat, drink, shop, and relax when you're away from home. Recently re-launched, the service is now optimized for the iPhone's Safari browser, according to Trilibis Mobile, the developer.
Citysearch is a localized travel guide with information on businesses, from restaurants and spas, to hotels and retail for cities around the country. It includes 14.5 million business listings, over 600,000 user reviews, and ratings on over 2 million business locations.
Here some features of the free service:
--Call, map or get directions to any location you're viewing with one touch
--Spots your location using Wi-Fi
--Patented search finds all your interests in one touch
--Invite your friends and see them on the map
--View featured listings in your area
--Read and write user reviews
--Get maps and directions
--Send info via SMS or email
--Save favorites
You can access CitySearch by pointing Safari to this location: http://m.citysearch.com. Trilibis says the service is available for 90 percent of smartphones.
PhatWare's WritePad Professional Edition ($9.99, available here) for the iPhone is a new organizer suite that combines the Affairs, Events, and Notes apps released by the company back in May. All three products use the company's WritePad text editor with built-in handwriting recognition and editing capabilities.
The new suite adds support for Voice Notes, allows multiple folders of each kind, and takes advantage of several iPhone OS 3.0 features. So, for instance, it allows users to transfer individual items between several iPhones via WiFi, and Affairs now has a reminder feature implemented using the PhatWare provider server.
The WritePad text editor supports handwriting recognition input for cursive, print, and mixed handwriting styles, in addition to Apple's soft QWERTY keyboard. Advanced features include an engine that improves handwriting recognition quality over time, and an auto-corrector that automatically fixes common spelling and recognition errors.
There’s also a shorthand feature allows users to perform editing commands, insert current date and time and repetitive text by writing a short name and drawing a circle around it, and simple gestures to perform standard editing commands.
Sure, I've got an iPhone—you have to when you’re the editor of an iPhone site—but when it comes to iPods, I'm more of an iPod Classic kind of guy—the type who still finds the drop to a max of 120GB from 160GB hard to swallow. Too bad these devices, with their click wheels (at times preferable to multi-touch, particularly for one-handed navigation) and oodles of hard disk storage, may be on the endangered list. There's been much conjecture of late that Apple may decide to kill the iPod Classic altogether, as the iPhone and iPod touch, with their considerably greater functionality (the ability to run software bought through the App Store, in particular), continue to cannibalize Classic sales. For example, orders for 1.8-inch Samsung and Toshiba hard drives, the kind that go into an iPod Classic, are supposedly not what they should be if a new model were in the works. While 250GB, the size of Samsung's latest miniature drives, would be nice boost in capacity for the iPod Classic, I wouldn’t bet on seeing it happen, unfortunately.
As I mentioned earlier, the trajectory for Apple’s hard disk iPods has been down, not up. In fact, at the time Apple killed off the 160GB last fall, I had been hoping they'd release a 320GB model. Instead, what I got was 40GB less storage.
Flash memory–only devices appear to be the direction Apple is going. So, rumor has it Apple may release a 64GB iPod touch this fall. That’s double the capacity of today’s 32GB model. I don't know about you but 64GB is still nowhere near enough storage for me. 
Take that Apple! Palm strikes back.
Only a week after Apple unceremoniously broke the Palm Pre's iTunes connectivity, Palm has reestablished its new smartphone’s connection to Cupertino's media management software. So, with webOS 1.1, Pre users will once again be able to synchronize media (video, pictures, music) with their device. That is until Apple releases iTunes 8.2.2.
Get the full story here at PDAStreet.com.
Today, you can buy a brand new iPhone 3G for $99, considerably less than when the smartphone shipped a year ago. Did you know a refurbished will set you back even less, far less? AT&T is now offering used 8GB iPhone 3Gs for only $49 with a two-year contract. That's lower than what it would cost you to use that smartphone each month. Predicaton: It won't be long before they start giving these iPhones away.
Learn more here at AT&T.
Until fring, a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and IM client released last fall, no calls on the iPhone were free. With Fring, you could make calls to other fringsters or via fring using Skype, Skype-out or any other SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) providers over a Wi-Fi or cellular network at no cost. This month, the application gained support for iPhone firmware 3.0. and the push notifications that platform upgrade provides.
Push is significant in this case because the iPhone does not support multitasking for third-party applications. It lets fring know when someone is trying to reach you, even when you’re within another application.
Whenever someone calls/chats you, you'll receive a beep sound, as well as a pop-up window, telling you that your friend is trying to contact you. Once you click on that pop-up window, it'll log you back into fring and take you straight to the relevant window. If you choose to temporarily disable this option you can simply click on 'more' and then on 'go offline'; so once you log out of fring, Push Notification will be disabled, until next time you log in.
Fring also provides a single searchable contact list with all your IM buddies from Skype, MSN Messenger, GoogleTalk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM.
You can download fring for free here from the App Store for free.
The iPhone and iPhone touch haven't become the most popular mobile gaming platforms just because of consumers. Even mobile pros need to let off a little steam every once in a while to pass the time. One of the latest puzzlers to hit the App Store is Leds! ($0.99, available here) from MusiGames.
This game, also available for Android smartphones, challenges players to find out which words are displayed in a broken LED panel. The player has to figure out the letters and numbers that are scrolled along the LED panel, with only 3 columns of LEDs working. The game gets progressively harder with two and then one column of as you progress.
During the game, the Leds are displayed in different environment such as airports, hospitals, food courts, schools, stadiums and highways, according to MusiGames. The game includes more than 700 words that are familiar to each location and range from commonly used to more exotic ones.
Check out the free Lite edition of Leds! here if you, like me, like to try before you buy.
Android may be Google's baby, but that hasn't stopped the search giant from bringing its services to other mobile platforms. Most recently, the search giant made its Latitude social mapping service available for the iPhone.
Android may be Google's baby, but that hasn't stopped the search giant from bringing its services to other mobile platforms. Most recently, the search giant made its Latitude social mapping service available for the iPhone and iPod touch.
With Google Latitude—also available for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Nokia Symbian/S60 and Android (of course) —you can see where your friends are and what they are up to on a map; contact them by SMS, IM, or phone; and control your location data and who gets to see it.
To get Google Latitide, which is free, got to google.com/latitude from within Safari. For more on the service, see this posting at the Google Mobile Blog. Also, check out the video below.
Are limited supplies of the new iPhone dulling Apple's shine? The iPhone 3GS went on sale June 19 and 1 million were sold within the first three days, according to Apple. "The demand has been staggering almost in every country that we've shipped in," Apple COO Timothy Cook said during company's quarterly earnings conference call. Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
One you catch this particularly virulent bug, you become susceptible to a personality disorder that compels you to filter all experiences in life through the prism of whether or not there's an app for it. Get the full story here at Datamation.com.
By James Maguire
A truly cool iPhone app boosts the iPhone’s already exceptional form factor. Right out the box, the fashionable handheld (ever the cool kid’s accoutrement) handles everything from texting to movie downloads to shooting video. But add a few choice apps – say, a top-flight personal organizer or a cool music app – and your iPhone stretches the envelope of design coolness still more. It’s one very impressive gewgaw.
But which ones, you’re wondering, are the really cool iPhone apps? Among the ten bazillion out there, which apps need to be on my very own handheld? Ah, fret no more, here for your downloading pleasure are some deliciously cool iPhone apps:
Get the full story here at Datamation.com.
The second quarter is typically a slow one, especially in the consumer space, but Apple has a habit of defying the trends. Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
As soon as Apple released the most recent edition of the iPod touch, rumors began to make their way around the Internet about what features Apple may add to the next model—said to be due for release in the fall. If recent reports are any indication, the next-generation iPod touch will gain a lot of features.
Rumor has it that Apple plans to add a microphone to device. This may not seem like much, but it is.
That's because a built-in mic would make it easy to use a VoIP program, some of which are already available, with the iPod touch. You'll no longer need to plug-in a headset with a mic to use the iPod touch as a Wi-Fi phone.
Also, a mic would allow owners to manage their iPod touch through voice commands, just like you can with the new iPhone 3Gs.
Another possible new feature for the iPod touch is the addition of a camera for picture and video. You may even be able to edit video just like with the latest iPhone.
According to an unnamed source in a Wired article, iPod touches with both a camera and a mic are already in production in China.
Of course, a number of enhancements will come to the next iPod touch courtesy of OS 3.0, the same platform the iPhone 3G S uses. These include cut-copy-and-paste, push support for applications, Stereo Bluetooth, and more.
Today, Rhomobile announced the simplification of the pricing scheme for its Rhodes open source application development framework for smartphones and RhoSync server product. Rhomobile is now offering what it calls predictable pricing.
Rhodes allows developers to use HTML rather than Objective-C or native device languages to create software that run on a number of different smartphone platforms—including the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android—while RhoSync keeps application data current and available on a user's smartphone.
Here's is Rhomobile's new price structure:
Rhodes framework is still free for developers who open source their applications under GPLv3. That doesn't change. Rhomobile is now making commercial Rhodes licenses available at $500 per application, however; and it is offering commercial RhoSync server licenses based upon the planned number of users connected to the server.
PDAStreet asked Rhomobile CEO Adam Blum to explain how the simplified pricing model is beneficial to enterprise customers. "Previously Rhomobile charged developers on a percentage of sales or per seat basis," he said. "With our new simplified pricing model, customers can pay a known fee upfront for our technology making it easier for them to plan their overall cost of development and licensing."
In other words, pricing for Rhodes and Rhosync is fixed now. This should take the guess work out of the equation for enterprises when determining how much it would cost to use Rhomobile's products for creating mobile applications.
"Rhomobile was founded to allow enterprises to quickly and efficiently mobilize their workforce." Blum added. "We are excited to be rolling out the simplified pricing for enterprises and independent software vendors to make it even easier for them to deploy new mobile apps."
Furthermore, Blum asserted to PDAStreet that "by leveraging programmers existing web development skills, Rhodes breaks down the barrier between an inspired idea and a full blown mobile application. The Rhodes framework provides unparalleled ease-of-use and efficiency, allowing developers to build powerful mobile applications with about 20 percent of the code used to build smartphone apps today."
The latest version of Rhodes, 1.2, adds support for the push sync of data on the iPhone and BlackBerry. It uses the iPhone 3.0 SDK push APIs and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Push APIs to allow immediate updates of application date to users' smartphones. 
The RhoSync server handles keeping information current and available locally on users' smartphones. It does this, according to Rhomobile, by retrieving data via web services (REST or SOAP) from backend enterprise applications for distribution to mobile devices downstream. The server also keeps a master store of all enterprise application data and tracks the information users have received.
Not Apple.
We are on the third-generation model in two years and yet Cupertino still does not trust its users enough to enable them to pop out their iPhone's battery and replace it with a spare when the charge gets low. And, should your iPhone's battery needs replacing, it charges a hefty fee to do it for you.
Sure, the iPhone's battery life has improved with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone OS 3.0 (for some, although others have found the latest firmware upgrde to be too much of a power hog). But it is still a problem for those who often take advantage of the smartphone's GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G—all notorious battery hogs.
As many iPhone users continue to find out, all the advanced services and applications these technologies enable often leave them with little juice to power their device when it is time to make or receive a (sometimes important) phone call. Aren't voice services the main reason to own a cell phone, even the smart variety, to make voice calls still? No matter what other bells and whistles they bring to the table.
With the iPhone, Apple did a great job of making their chargers extremely compact. So they're really easy to carry around. But there isn’t always an outlet around when you need one. Is there?
That's why I recommend every iPhoner find a way to carry around some extra power.
There are basically two ways to go: a standalone battery pack or a case that integrates a battery power. Prices for these peripherals range between about $15 and $100.
On the standalone side, there are a number of options from the likes of Kensington, 3GJUICE, RichardSolo, AET, Griffin Technology and others.
I, however, prefer the second option, the ones that combine a second battery with a case.
Personal favorites include the Tekkeon myPower Battery/Leather Sleeve (see right image), which includes a 1500 mAh rechargeable lithium polymer battery. Not only does the Tekkeon (about $65) look good, and do a decent job of protecting the iPhone froma fall, it, essentially, allows you to use an iPhone for over a full day between charges.
This isn't close to the case (pun intended) when the iPhone is by itself. As a bonus, the Tekkeon smartly depletes the cases battery first, before moving to the iPhone's.
Another good battery/case combo is the Mophie Juice Pack Air (see left image). It is a sleek hard case that also increases the iPhone's battery life, although not quite as long as the Tekkeon does.
Unlike the Tekkeon, the Mophie includes an on/off switch that allows you to choose between the iPhone or the case's battery.The Mophie/iPhone combination is larger than the Tekkeon/iPhone together, but not nearly as large as another battery/case model, the FASTMAC iV, the most powerful (and most expensive, at nearly $100) of these accessories.
The FASTMAC iV (see image below), unlike the Tekkeon and its 1500 mAH lithium battery and the Mophie with its 1200 mAH lithium, sports an extremely powerful 3100 mAh lithium battery, hence its added width (a downside) and extra juice (a definite benefit). With it, I could actually go a couple of days between charges.
There's even a flash LED embedded in the back of the device, which comes in handy when you need a little extra light for taking pictures or simply to look for something in a darkened room.
Unfortunately, for all its benefits, the FASTMAC is not designed to protect the iPhone in the way the Tekkeon and Mophie can. You see, the FASTMAC does not cover the iPhone completely. Rather, the iPhone slides into place and the top part is left exposed. It is also, as I’ve indicated, much larger and bulkier than the others. 
When it comes down to it, deciding which way to go to supplement the battery of your iPhone comes down to personal preferences. Some might prefer a standalone unit that you don't take out until needed. Others, like me, prefer the convenience of having their case and battery extenders merged into a single peripheral.
Either way, you'll be happy you've made the investment. It’s an investment that’s a must for all but the least demanding of iPhone owners.
Granted, the inability for users to remove their battery hasn't hurt iPhone sales. Then again, Apple could make even more of a killing if customers were buying spare batteries from them rather than only being able to reply on the aforementioned battery accessories.
See here for a comprehensive list of iPhone battery extenders and their prices.
SBSH Mobile's updated its first application for the iPhone and iPod touch, SafeWallet ($5.99, available here), to version 1.1. The main additions included with this upgrade to the password and data security software is support for the company's PC Companion along with a Sync Manager that allow users to manage and sync their wallets between their iPhone and Windows PC. It also adds support for iPhone 3.0.
Also available for the BlackBerry and Symbian/S60 smartphone platforms, SafeWallet is a secure storage application designed to help you manage all your private data-such as credit cards information, online passwords, bank account info, registration codes, ATM PINs, emergency contacts etc.-on your smartphone.
The software uses 256-bit AES encryption and offers pre-defined templates that allow you to add/edit/remove fields from existing information cards. It also includes over 250 icons and offers quick access your most used cards.
As part of SBSH's new pricing strategy, SafeWallet for iPhone plus SafeWallet PC Companion is now available together for $11.95.
A month ago, iambic brought its popular personal information manager, Agendus ($7.99, available here), to the iPhone and iPod touch. The developer recently updated Agendus to version 1.01.
Agendus enhances and extends the built-in iPhone Contacts App while introducing its own comprehensive Task management function. It includes a Today View, a Task List View, a Compact and Expanded Contact Views, and features like Contact Linking, One Tap Dial / Email, quick item deletion, task categories, colors, grouping and filtering, over-the-air services such as integrated weather forecasts, and more.
According to iambic, it introduces over thirty improvements with the upgrade; including the addition of full landscape support in all views and dialogs, iPhone OS 3.0 compatibility, and various new sorting, grouping and display options for both Contact and Task related views (such as priority indicator, due date, default categories, etc.). A new "services" preference panel allows users to have the weather location automatically determined, as well as to specify a twitter client for the "share on twitter" functionality.
See here for a comprehensive list of fixes and enhancements.
The iPhone isn't just for consumers. It's being used professionals all over to access corporate calendars, email and networks—all of which need to be protected. RSA's released a new iPhone app to help IT better secure enterprises from unwanted iPhone intruders. Called RSA SecurID Software Token for iPhone Devices, the application secures access to networks and corporate resources through a one-time numerical password that changes every sixty seconds.
Here's a list of features:
Strong two-factor authentication to protected services One-tap token provisioning for the end user Support for Dynamic Seed Provisioning (CT-KIP) Support for software tokens that emulate the authentication experience of users with RSA hardware fobsRequires 128-bit (AES) software tokens. No support for 64-bit (SID) software tokens.
RSA SecurID Software Token for iPhone Devices requires 2MB of available memory, iPhone OS 2.2 or 3.0, and the RSA Authentication Manager (6.1 or 7.1). See here for more information, including ordering options, and here to download the application for free from the iTunes App Store.
TipRight ($1.99, available here) is a new app for the iPhone that promises to help you not look like a cheapskate when taking partners or customers out for a meal. From veteran mobile developer iambic and previously available for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and the Palm OS, the utility streamlines tipping related calculations and roundings through its handy slider interface. It'll even split amounts to pay should more than one person be picking up the meal or just the tip, and there's a Tipping Wizard that’ll suggest the percentage to tip based on ratings applied to specific aspects of the visit to a restaurant. TipRight also allows users to save detailed information about the establishment just visited. Including the total amount and tip percentage.
The iPhone maker crows about its booming consumer business as rivals start carving out their own share of the market. Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
Deep Prose Software's Cyclops (available here) is a free app that turns the iPhone 3Gs into a barcode scanner. It sounds like a great tool for comparison and garage sale shoppers as well as corporate types looking to if they’re getting a good deal or are being ripped off.
Here's how Cyclops works:
Once a picture of a barcode is taken, Cyclops analyzes the picture in real-time, whereupon it performs an online search to retrieve information about title, image, publisher, studio, tracks, dewey decimal number, prices, and more from Amazon in the form of link.
Scanning history is stored for quick reference and items can be reordered and removed. If an internet connection is not available when scanning, the online search can be done later on when the network is accessible.
Both UPC and EAN barcodes are supported. It only supports the iPhone 3Gs at this time, however.
The software is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Japanese
Media5 recently released a program that may help the iPhone (and even the iPod touch) fit better into your corporate phone network. Called Media5-Fone ($6.99, available here), the software enables iPhone and iPod touch users to connect with any SIP IP-PBX. In other words, it allows Apple mobile device users to access the same phone services and features as they would in the office, but over a broadband connection using VoIP.
According to the company, Media5-Fone is the latest component of its Media5Boss suite of solutions for service providers and corporate offices. It is based on the Media5's M5T SIP Client Mobility SDK.
Here are some Media5-Fone features:
Pure SIP standard softphone Voice Mail Integration Loudspeaker VoIP over Wi-Fi Native Contacts List Hold Easy Configuration Call History Mute Media5 added this first version of Media5-Fone is a first step towards offering a more full-featured and secure enterprise edition that will embed strong voice encryption among other features.You'd think if other devices could use iTunes then it might mean those folks would buy some content through Apple, perhaps regularly. Wouldn't that only benefit the company and its partners?
So what are Palm Pre users to do? They can still drag and drop music and video onto the Pre or forgo the iTunes upgrade until a workaround is released.
"Billions and Billions Served" has long been a motto for McDonalds. Apparently, it won't be long before Apple will be able to make the same claim for the iPhone App Store. And, if Microsoft has a say, it won't be long before its upcoming on-device software marketplace will be hopping as well.
You see, the iTunes App Store recently celebrated its first anniversary. In that time, iPhone and iPod touch owners have downloaded an astounding 1.5 billion applications.
What makes this number more amazing is that Apple originally didn't plan on allowing third parties to create software for the iPhone. At least that's what Steve Jobs and company asserted when it introduced the now ubiquitous smartphone in January 2007.
Today, there are over 100,000 members in Apple's iPhone Developer program and more than 65,000 applications on the App Store.
Every platform developer and their mother is attempting to emulate the Apple's success with their own on-device software store. Google's got one for its Android platform, as does RIM and Nokia for their BlackBerry smartphones, as well as Palm with its new webOS, which debuted on the Pre.
Of course, Microsoft's got an application store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, up its sleeve for this for this fall. Redmond announced as much earlier this year.
Originally, it was thought the new on-device app store would only support smartphones running its yet-to-be released Windows Mobile 6.5 platform. Turns out that won't be the case.
This week, Microsoft announced the app store will be made available for Windows Mobile 6.1 and 6.0 devices as well. A smart move considering it will be a long time before Windows Mobile 6.5 supplants the earlier edition of the OS as the predominant version found on devices. Today, more than 30 million devices run on Windows Mobile 6.x.
According to Microsoft, it will start accepting submissions to the Windows Marketplace in 29 supported countries on July 27th, at which time it will also disclose the details of a Windows Marketplace for Mobile developer contest.
A key feature of the app store will be the Windows Marketplace Business Center. This category, according to Microsoft, "will contain mobile business applications across several common industries and line of business functions from leading companies... Business Center is another way for our partners to differentiate themselves and showcase their business applications, while making it easier for users to locate and purchase the latest mobile business tools." 
All apps posted to Windows Marketplace for Mobile will be tested and certified. Developers will get 70 percent of revenue to Microsoft's 30 percent.
As you probably already know, or are (unfortunately) experiencing, upgrading to iPhone OS 3.0 has brought more than just a bunch of new features to the iPhone. For some, it has meant the introduction of bugs, especially in the performance of their iPhone's Wi-Fi connectivity.
These issues have affected some owners of the new iPhone model, the 3GS, as well as the iPhone 3G and even the iPod touch. TUAW reports one possible reason and solution to this problem: Bluetooth. It seems that if you turn off Bluetooth, it could boost your Wi-Fi considerably. This has something to do with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sharing the same antenna and the way Bluetooth is made active by iPhone OS 3.0.
So if you are having problems with Wi-Fi, try turning off Bluetooth and see what happens. Turn it off anyway, even if Wi-Fi seems okay to you. You may notice Wi-Fi becoming faster as a result.
Let's hope Apple comes out with a fix soon. Meanwhile, if you haven't upgraded to iPhone 3.0, you may want to wait for Apple to release a patch. Don’t let yourself become yet another guinea pig.
Multiplatform development environment now allows for the immediate update of application information to iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Rhodes enables developers to create software in HTML.
Rhomobile has updated application development environment for enterprises, Rhodes, to version 1.2. The update adds support for the push sync of data on the iPhone and BlackBerry. The Rhodes framework allows developers to leverage their existing HTML skills rather than Objective-C or other complex native device operating system languages to create native applications for smartphones, including the iPhone and BlackBerry but also the Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android platforms.
Version 1.2 uses the iPhone 3.0 SDK push APIs and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Push APIs to allow immediate updates of important application information to users' smartphones. "The addition of push data capabilities in Rhodes 1.2 allowed us to add alerting features to our application such as customized, real-time notifications when network outages occur," said Aeroprise CEO Dan Turchin— a provider of Mobile Service Management applications and Rhomobile ISV— in a statement.
See here to learn more about Rhodes.
Slide has just released a version of its Top Friends Facebook app for the iPhone. Top Friends (free, available here) incorporates Facebook Connect and includes many of the features found in the original application, such as the ability to communicate directly with friends and interact using fun SuperPoke! actions.
New to the application is the ability for users to track and share locations with their Top Friends through real-time geo-tagging. The software automatically syncs up with the iPhone address book, which allows users to access contacts directly from within the Top Friends application interface. Friend lists can be personalized with customized skins and viewed as either a grid (gathering them all on one screen) or as a cover flow (turning each friend into an album in a jukebox, according to Slide).
Rumor has it China Unicom will start selling the iPhone early next year, but without Wi-Fi. Why? Due to the Chinese government’s Golden Shield Project, which is the name of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's Internet censorship and surveillance program. You see, as Gizmodo reports, it is harder to "sniff local packets than ones drifting through a wide-area network." According to Business Week, Apple's applied for a Network Access License to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology so it can sell the iPhone in the world's largest wireless market.
[via TUAW]
Apple's posted a new document detailing some procedures iPhone and iPod users can follow to fix some common Wi-Fi and Bluetooth bugs. A number of people who've upgrade their Apple device to iPhone OS 3.0 have reported problems in these areas.
The document offers four possible resolutions to when your device displays no Wi-Fi address or Bluetooth address; appears to be connected but cannot access a Wi-Fi network; shows a grayed out Wi-Fi or Bluetooth icon; can't pair with a Bluetooth device; and the values or entries for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Router, or DNS appear are blank in Settings under Wi-Fi. Possible solutions go into detail about when these issues merit re-syncing, resetting or restoring your iPhone or iPod touch.
Later on, if the initial steps don’t work, you're referred to the iPhone Service FAQ and another article that offers additional Wi-Fi troubleshooting tips.
Some of the most popular iPhone and iPod touch apps are those that allow you to use Apple's mobile devices to make music. One of the latest, developed by MusiGames, is called Drums Challenge ($0.99, available here), which promises to turn your iPhone into a virtual drum machine kit. The game part of the app pits players against opponents playing a song on the drums. After a sequence of notes is played, the user has to repeat the sequence of drum beats, playing each drum part with the correct timing. Each of the 25 drum battles is supposed to present a unique challenge in terms of rhythm, style and music perception.
Ever at a lost for a joke to use during a presentation or, perhaps, you simply like to laugh? Then maybe you should give iLaugh from Azure Talon a try. The iPhone application was recently updated to version 2.0. It now places over 50,000 jokes in iPhone users’ hands and sports social-networking features, such as joke sharing through Facebook and Twitter as well as voting and favorites. The app even allows users to filter out adult jokes or jokes voted down by the iLaugh community. iLaugh comes in two editions: a free version supported by ads (available here) and an advertising-free "Premium" edition for $0.99 (available here).
MSNBC.com has partnered with Zumobi to bring its content to the iPhone and iPod touch. The new app (free, available here) offers users access to breaking news, videos, photos, and more from msnbc.com, The interface, in the shape of dial (see image) is designed to ease access to a reader's favorite news topics, NBC News and MSNBC Cable shows, blogs and Twitter streams. The MSNBC.com program is supported by advertising, with Best Buy being the first to iPhone and iPod touch users though the software.
Charles Rose, a programmer and technical writer since 1983, has authored a new eBook to show iPhone app developers ho to go about marketing their wares. The title of the eBook, which is quite a mouthful says it all: it is called Secrets Of iPhone App Marketing: How To Get Your App Noticed & Increase Your Sales.
According to iZenDev.com, the publisher, the purpose of the eBook is to teach app developers the importance of a strong marketing strategy and how to create one for their application. Think of the eBook as something along the lines of a Zen & the Art of iPhone App Marketing.
With the eBook, iZenDev.com asserts:
Developers will learn the best websites for iPhone App reviews, step-by-step instructions for how to prepare and submit their app to each site, how to write an effective press release, and tips on how to keep the public's attention.
The eBook is available here for $49 .
What are Steve Jobs and company doing to maintain one of the best customer satisfaction ratings in the business? Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
OtterBox's latest cases, the Defender and Impact Series, promise to protect from both iPhone 3G and 3GS models from dust, drops, and dirt without compromising functionality.
So, the scratchproof Defender Series ($49.95) allows for interaction with iPhone's volume control, camera, touch-screen, silent switch and phone functions in spite of three layers of protection. One layer safeguards the screen from scratches, dust and dirt. A polycarbonate shell fortifies the device against drops or impact. And a silicone skin absorbs shock and keeps dust and dirt out of all ports and plugs.
At the $19.95, the cheaper Impact model is less pricey, but with a high level of protection as well. It has an inner coring that dissipates impact away from your iPhone to protect from bump and shock. An included, self-adhering screen cover adds additional protection from scratches. As with the Defender, this case offers complete interaction with device functions.
The OtterBox Defender Series comes in black, yellow/black, white or pink and the Impact Series is available in black or white.
Last night we released updated versions of our redsn0w jailbreak and ultrasn0w carrier unlock. These versions are now compatible with the iPhone 3GS running at 3.0. Welcome aboard, 3GS owners! (The tools of course remain compatible with all of the other platforms too.) Also last night, saurik released 3GS-compatible versions of MobileSubstrate and WinterBoard, components that enable many different add-ons and themes.
Below is a video showing the new jailbreak in action.
iPhone 3GS Unlock Demonstration from planetbeing on Vimeo.
Check out the iPhone Dev Team blog here to learn more .
[via TechCrunch]
O'Reilly Media is holding a conference where smartphone app developers and experts will share their knownlege of buuilding applicaitons accross multiple platforms. The event, called InsideMobile, will take place from July 26-27 at the eBay Conference Center in San Jose.
According to O'Reilly, InsideMobile will be one of the first conferences to teach programmers the basics of developing on all major mobile platforms, including iPhone, Blackberry, Palm webOS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Android. And, although although the Palm Pre webOS SDK has yet to be publicly released, InsideMobile has been granted special permission by Palm to host not one, but two, 4-hour training sessions on developing for the platform.
See here for an early lineup of sessions for the upcoming two-day event, which costs $400 to attend. The first 100 registrants can get in for $250.
Power is the most important commodity for road warriors. Run out of electricity and your mobile devices become useless. Enter Charge4All, which has just released a new product called the Portable Charging Mat that lets you charge up to four devices at once via single power source.
The $39.95 multi-charger comes with four charging ports and five of the most popular smart charging plugs, including iPod/iPhone, Mini USB, Micro USB, Samsung SCH, and LG Chocolate. As a result, the device supports the charging of all iPhones/iPods and most cell phones, mp3 players, Bluetooth devices, PDAs, digital cameras, portable GPS's, etc.
It features a soft, silicon mat that cushions devices and rolls up for quick and compact packing.
Powered by the included AC adaptor, the company offers up to 29 additional smart plugs that adapt to almost all handheld devices for $4.95 each. In addition, a car adaptor is available for charging devices on the road.
