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The New York Times is reporting that the iPhone started its life out as a "Safari Pad". An Internet tablet if you will. Once Steve Jobs saw it, he used his panache and morphed it into an iPhone. The author also goes on to say that when he spoke to Steve Jobs at the recent MacWorld in January, he asked if there would be a larger form-factor iPod touch device. Steve Jobs replied,

Monday was analyst prediction day, as RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky and Banc of American analyst Scott Craig separately provided the following guestimates on Apple's next gen iPhone:

Abramsky predicts him some amped up CPU, more memory, and the faster 3G speeds that allow for higher def (HD?) video, voice capture, streaming HD video, real-time GPS, and other Trekkie goodness. All this would, coupled with a mid-2008 release, would let Apple blow past 10 million, and hit a potential 11 million unites sold by year end.

Thursday brings the SDK. You know, the one that needs no other identifier. The one that the entire tech-verse has been chomping at the bit for since roughly 0.001 seconds after Steve Jobs slipped the iPhone from his pocket at Macworld 2007.

But that’s all we know: SDK Event March 6th.

We don’t know whether the SDK will be ready to code that very same day, who’ll be given access to it, how they’ll test for it, what type of approval process Apple will require, how apps will be distributed, how they’ll be priced, and most importantly for the end user: whether or not “OMG teh iPhone can has WoW!!11”

However, that doesn’t stop us from guessing!

As highlighted earlier, when O2 launches the iPhone on March 14, it will be with only a wee 1GB of data (vs. unlimited in other territories) and nay visual voicemail (standard elsewhere -- indeed cited as a rationale for carrier cooperation read: lock-in).

Now MacNN brings us "justification" from O2 Ireland CEO, Danuta Gray:

Reading my news and RSS feeds on the go is important to me. Most people I know use Google Reader, and it is a fantastic desktop web application. However, I find the mobile version really lacking in features and functionality; this is where Bloglines (http://i.bloglines.com) comes in.

Bloglines really takes advantage of Apple's HIG's and gives a very integrated environment for your news. Keep in mind that this version of Bloglines is is still in beta...

(Ed Note - We've already welcomed Rene Ritchie to the fold, now we welcome Chad Garrett! Chad will be bringing us a software review each week -- with any luck at all he'll be able to move to reviews of real, honest-to-god, Apple-approved native applications very soon! Welcome Chad!)

In the grand tradition of surveilling Apple's every patent filing for the tiniest hint about just which earth-denting device Steve Jobs will whip out next, Apple Insider (via Trademork) brings word on: methods to auto-detect game compatibility (to make sure you don't accidentally buy a Nano game for your iPhone?), an automatic online backup, data storage, and update service for already-purchased games (Software Update meets .Mac?), as well as a game rental and/or subscription service (expanding the iTunes Movie Rentals model?).

Engadget has put together a veritable jolly roger of an update to iPhone firmware 1.1.4 jailbreaking and SIM unlocking.

These methods include the usual scurvy gang of iNdependence 1.4 beta 5 for OS X, Zibri's cross-platform Ziphone 2.5, and a new, and potentially mega-infringing stow-away: iTunes (looks to be purely proof-of-concept at the moment).

Based on O2's last quarter earnings report, the iPhone is not only O2's fastest selling device, is not only setting new records for customer satisfaction, but helped contribute towards a 9.5% increase for the last quarter 2007.

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":