The early iPad 2 reviews are in and as expected it's getting its fair share of "evolutionary not revolutionary" and "a good thing even better" takes. We've already told you what key features might make you want to upgrade from iPad 1 to iPad 2, or to consider an iPad 2 as your first tablet. To hear what everyone else thinks, follow on after the break...

• Joshua Topolsky: It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn't just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we'd like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple's presence in this space, it's difficult (if not impossible) to do that. Is the iPad 2 a perfect product? Absolutely not. The cameras are severely lacking, the screen -- while extremely high quality -- is touting last year's spec, and its operating system still has significant annoyances, like the aggravating pop-up notifications. [Engadget]
• John Gruber: The iPad 2 is a solid second-generation iteration. Easier and more comfortable to hold, noticeably faster, equippable with foldable covers that are both literally and figuratively magnetic. Like last year’s iPhone 4, it seems like technology from the near future. [Daring Fireball]
• Vincent Nguyen: On most levels, then, the iPad 2 over-delivers. By boosting speed and graphics performance while simultaneously slimming down the chassis and preserving battery life, Apple has maintained its core strengths and extended its lead in what are arguably the toughest areas rivals faces. Sure, a Retina Display would have been great, and high-resolution camera, but it’s relatively straightforward to drop those into the next iPad; it’s a whole lot more difficult to make a super-thin tablet with 10+ hours of runtime. [SlashGear]
• Jason Snell: For Apple’s competitors in the tablet-device market, the iPad 2 is a bucket of water to the face. After more than a year of struggling to catch up to the original iPad, here’s a new model that addresses many of the iPad’s deficiencies, dramatically improves its speed, and doesn’t cede any ground on price, features, or battery life. The iPad 2 raises the bar Apple set a year ago—and it’s time for the rest of the industry to scramble again to catch up. [Macworld]
• MG Siegler: In terms of the other competition out there that doesn’t begin with a lowercase “i”, it’s becoming clearer by the day that most don’t yet stack up well against the iPad 1, let alone iPad 2. I’ve only played with a Xoom for a few minutes, and I was generally impressed, but apparently it’s very, very buggy. Just listen to Jason talk about it here. The tablets from RIM and HP aren’t out yet, and the pricing details around them don’t sound too promising. Further, the app support support for all the rivals isn’t too promising right now either. That’s one of the iPad 2′s greatest advantages that doesn’t show up on a spec sheet. [TechCrunch]
• Ed Baig: The iPad 2 doesn't deliver everything on your tablet wish list. But when it comes to the ever-evolving state of the art, iPad 2 is second to none. [USA Today]
• Walt Mossberg: As new contenders move into the field, Apple isn’t likely to keep its 90% share of the booming tablet market. But the iPad 2 moves the goal posts, by being slimmer and lighter, boosting speed and power, and holding its price advantages, available apps and battery life. As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers. [WSJ]
• David Pogue: Thousands of news and entertainment Web sites still rely on Flash, and the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch simply can’t display them. But you know what? The iPad will still dominate the market, because it dominates in all the most important criteria: thinness, weight, integration, beauty — and apps. [NYT]

We'll add more as they go live.

The Verizon iPhone is one of the most anticipated smartphones in recent memory, made even more so by the endless rumors and years of waiting those who wanted it had to endure. Now it's here and while the radio has changed it's still pretty much the same iPhone 4 Apple shipped on AT&T back in June 2010. A 7 month old phone on a brand new network is not something iPhone users have had to consider in the past. Is it worth the wait? Is Verizon really a better network? Does CDMA have important shortcomings you need to be aware of? Will the entire thing be rendered moot when Apple announces an iPhone 5 in June?

Figuring out the answers to these questions and more have kept all of us at TiPb extremely busy over the past couple of weeks. So hit the jump and on for our full Verizon iPhone review!

Since the Verizon iPhone 4 is still an iPhone 4 we're only going to look at and compare the differences between the Verizon model and the AT&T/GSM model here. If you haven't already, check out our original iPhone 4 review to see all the features that are similar including FaceTime video calls, Retina Display screen, 5mp camera and HD video recording, etc.

In the box

You'll get the standard Apple headphones, the wall adapter, a sync cable, and your manuals. The only difference is really the phone and the back of the box.

The back of the box simply specifies the carrier. Other than that, everything should be the same. Oh let's not forget that you won't get a handy dandy micro-SIM removal tool, since CDMA phones don't use them.

Hardware differences

The Verizon iPhone has different breaks in the antenna band than its AT&T/GSM sibling. Even though the antenna band was redesigned for CDMA, I don’t see any improvement when it comes to the “death grip” issue (see our explanation of "death touch" vs. "death grip" for more on this). If anything, I experience it more than I do on my AT&T iPhone 4. I’m not sure if attenuation on the Verizon version is worse because of a difference between CDMA and GSM or if it’s something else. I experience the issue on my AT&T iPhone but it seems that the signal doesn’t drop as quick and when it does, it goes up quicker when I’m not touching the break in the band. The Verizon version seems to lose bars a lot quicker and it takes a bit longer for them to come back.

As most people have already figured out, putting a bumper or a case on your phone will solve the death grip problem.

Other than the breaks in the antenna bands, the mute switch and volume buttons are moved down about 2mm on the Verizon iPhone 4. This is because of the break in the antenna at the top left of the phone. For users coming from an AT&T iPhone 4, this can be annoying as many current iPhone 4 cases will not work as the silent switch and volume buttons are positioned differently.

The only other difference I have found is that the Verizon iPhone 4 doesn’t have the FCC and other clearance marks on the back the way the AT&T/GSM version does.

Software differences

The AT&T/GSM iPhone 4 is currently running iOS 4.2.1. The Verizon iPhone 4 launched with iOS 4.2.6. The only major feature 4.2.6 adds is personal hotspot capabilities (called mobile hotspot on other devices). AT&T has announced that they will offer mobile hotspot as well but no dates have been given yet, and it will require an iOS 4.3 update. Currently AT&T offers internet tethering for iPhone users but you are limited to Bluetooth and USB tethering.

The Verizon version supports wifi tethering for up to 5 devices. This is extremely nice if you’re somewhere without wifi and need to access the internet from a wifi only device (like a wifi iPad). You can simply enable the mobile hotspot feature and it’ll show up as a wireless network on your other device. You can also choose to add a password if you’d like. We'll cover that below.

Syncing data

If your’e coming from an AT&T iPhone, you’ll feel right at home. Actually, if you’ve ever used an iPod of any kind or an iPad, you’ll already know what to do. The Verizon iPhone is no different than its AT&T brother. Plug into iTunes, sync your content, and you’re good to go. Verizon also offers a contact transfer app for current customers that’ll easily bring down all your contacts wirelessly for you (given you use Verizon’s contact backup service). If you need more help:

• How to transfer data from your old AT&T iPhone to your new Verizon iPhone
• How to transfer data from your old Blackberry or Droid/Android to your new Verizon iPhone

There’s really nothing new here, both iPhones will sync and store data in the same manner.

Apps

All the apps that run on the current AT&T/GSM iPhone also run on the Verizon iPhone (with the sole exception of carrier branded apps, like AT&T Navigator.) Apple has hundreds of thousands of apps and games available for the iPhone and Verizon will be releasing some carrier-specific ones as well, hopefully something to tie into their NFL deal. Here are some good starting points:

• Top 10 best iPhone 4 apps
• Top 5 iPhone apps for Droid/Android switchers
• Top 5 iPhone apps for BlackBerry switchers

Call Clarity

CDMA is long known to handle calls better than GSM. But is that really true? When it comes to clarity, sure. But you do lose some features when using a CDMA iPhone. Conference calls are only good for up to 3 people, including yourself. The way calls are handled can differ too. On AT&T, if you initiate a conference call, you can merge the calls, split them off, and hang up separately. On Verizon, hanging up on one will hang up on both. This is also a downside of the current version of CDMA Verizon is utilizing.

In most of our Verizon voice tests, call clarity was always on par with AT&T or better.

Personal Hotspot

Personal hotspot is definitely a welcome feature to iOS. It's also only available for Verizon customers at the moment. AT&T has stated they have plans to release it, presumably with the launch of iOS 4.3, but no date has been given yet.

This feature allows you to turn your phone into a wireless hotspot. Up to 5 devices at a time can connect and use your iPhone 4's internet connection. We tested this pretty thoroughly and found that it works as promised. I was pretty impressed with the speeds and reliability.

Data Speeds

Verizon is offering their customers unlimited (though potentially throttled) data, while AT&T only offers 250MB and 2GB data tiers. This is a huge selling point for them. But can their network handle the traffic? From our experience, yet it can. Quite well actually. Leanna and I both conducted speed tests. Mine in the Chicago area and hers in the Denver area. While AT&T was much faster for me, in real world situations (even tethering), neither of us had issues with Verizon and it always loaded pages within seconds of our AT&T iPhones. Sometimes it even loaded them quicker.

Data speeds and network reliability will, of course, heavily rely on coverage in your particular area. AT&T typically handles well in larger populated areas while Verizon has been known to have a strong network in rural areas as well. We conducted several Verizon iPhone 4 speed tests and the results were more than respectable.

Verizon iPhone or AT&T iPhone?

That's really a decision each individual person is going to have to make. As always, you should base it on what the coverage is like where you live. For some, AT&T and Verizon may both be strong players in your area. If you're in that situation, take a look at each carrier and what benefits GSM has over CDMA and vice versa. We also did a Verizon iPhone 4 vs AT&T iPhone 4 comparison. We pitted them against each other, and both held their own. You'll really have to weigh out what options are more important to you. Do you need simultaneous voice and data or are you more concerned with call clarity? The little differences can end up being annoying over time so it may be worth it to weigh your options and choose the carrier that'll best fit your individual needs.

State of the Verizon Jailbreak

A lot of potential Verizon switchers have been asking if they're able to jailbreak if they switch. The answer to that is a big fat yes! greepois0n supports the Verizon iPhone as well. I jailbroke mine on launch day without a hitch. We've also got a complete guide up on how to jailbreak the Verizon iPhone 4. So if you're a jailbreaker (or want to be), make sure to give that a look.

Wrap Up

We had quite a week playing with the Verizon iPhone 4. We came away feeling that Verizon is definitely capable of delivering a great customer experience. I'd have no qualms about using the Verizon iPhone 4 if you don't need simultaneous voice and data or don't mind some of the little annoyances that come along with CDMA. The plans on both carriers are roughly similar with the exception of Verizon offering unlimited data while AT&T only offers tiered.

Now that Verizon finally has the iPhone, both businesses are going to have to compete for our business. For almost 4 years, AT&T hasn't had to compete for iPhone revenue. If you wanted an iPhone, you were going to play by their rules. Those days are long gone and we have a feeling it's going to get pretty interesting from here on out. Let the carrier wars begin!

Phew, we survived the Verizon iPhone event. Barely. Tons of posts and countless hours later, we're exhausted. If you missed any of our coverage today, here are the links all nicely grouped and sorted after the break. Now excuse us 'cause we're going to pour ourselves some spicy drinks, put our feet up on the tables, and zone out... until morning.

Comments are open just for you. Talk about today's event, blow off some steam, and get your chat on.

• Verizon iPhone give away!

Big News

• Verizon iPhone 4 announced, available February 10
• Verizon iPhone: Feb 3 pre-orders, Feb 10 stores, $199, $299
• Apple: Verizon contract not exclusive (so Sprint is possible?)
• Verizon iPhone event meta-live blog
• Verizon: We have the capacity to handle the iPhone
• CDMA Verizon iPhone hits FCC
• Phil Schiller: Building the Verizon iPhone

User guides

• AT&T vs. Verizon: Which should you choose?
• Will there be a Verizon iPhone 5 this summer? (And should I wait?)

Features

• UPDATE: Verizon iPhone to include 5-device Mobile Hotspot, exclude Verizon bloatware
• Verizon iPhone 4 Antenna is Redesigned …for CDMA
• Verizon iPhone 4 FAQ posted

Opinions

• Poll: Verizon iPhone, TiPb readers weigh in!
• TiPb Asks: Did Verizon do enough?

iOS

• Verizon iPhone running iOS 4.2.5
• iOS 4.3 to bring Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot to GSM/AT&T iPhone?
• Confirmed: iOS 4.3 to bring Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot to GSM/AT&T iPhone

Jailbreak and Unlock

• Will we be able to Jailbreak Verizon iPhone? Unlock for Sprint?

Verizon iPad

• Verizon to offer CDMA iPad 3G

AT&T reaction

• AT&T has been prepping iPhone plan as Verizon now has iPhone

iPhone 4 reviews are beginning to go live around the internet and impressions so far are resoundingly positive, though as usual AT&T takes some heat.

Josh Topolsky of Engadget says iPhone 4 is the "best smartphone on the market right now":

We're not going to beat around the bush -- in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4 out there. But when it comes to the total package -- fit and finish in both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the little details that make a device like this what it is -- we think it's the cream of the current crop. [link]

More early looks after the break.

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal thinks "the new iPhone keeps Apple at the top of the class", even while wishing it wasn't bound to AT&T:

Just as with its predecessors, I can’t recommend this new iPhone for voice calling for people who experience poor AT&T reception, unless they are willing to carry a second phone on a network that works better for them.

For everyone else, however, I’d say that Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class. [Link]

David Pogue of The New York Times starts off by saying "new iPhone arrives; rivals beware", though he thinks the technically inclined might prefer them anyway:

[Android devices are] more complicated, and their app store not as good, but they’re loaded with droolworthy features like turn-by-turn GPS instructions, speech recognition that saves you typing, removable batteries and a choice of cell networks.

If what you care about, however, is size and shape, beauty and battery life, polish and pleasure, then the iPhone 4 is calling your name. [Link]

Ed Baig of USA Today says iPhone 4 lives up to the hype, especially FaceTime:

As with previous iPhones, the latest model breaks new ground. FaceTime video calling on the iPhone 4 is one of those cool "seeing is believing" features, and it arrives on top of several across-the-board enhancements. And iOS 4 is a mostly terrific software upgrade.

Cutting through the hype, Apple has given longtime diehards, and first-time iPhone owners, plenty to cheer about. [Link]

Boy Genius goes for first impressions in point form, among them:

-The size and weight just feel right. - [The screen] is stunning - The industrial design is really solid, you feel like you are holding a luxury item. - Speed. Oh it’s fast. [Link]

Xeni Jardin of Boing Boing says she would buy it:

The fourth incarnation of Apple's iPhone is an incrementally improved, familiar device—not a new kind of device, as was the case with the recent introduction of iPad. Yes, the notable features with iPhone 4—both the device and the iOS4, which came out yesterday in advance of the iPhone itself—are mostly tweaks. But what tweaks they are: Apple's focus on improvement is as much key to the quality of its products as innovation. But there's one flaw it can't completely eliminate: the unreliable quality of calls placed over AT&T, which remains the iPhone's only U.S. carrier. [Link]

There you have it, the mainstream take on Apple's new iPhone 4. If you got an early iPhone 4 delivery of your own -- or when you do -- let us know your take as well.

WWDC 2010 certainly starting with a bang -- or boom in Apple parlance -- with almost more iPhone 4, iOS 4, and related news than we could keep up with. Almost. Here's a quick round up of what happened today, including Steve Jobs' triumphant return to the keynote stage.

We'll be here Tuesday and Wednesday as well, so if you're a developer email us at news(at)tipb(dot)com and drop on by, say hi, and amaze us with your apps. We're trying to fit in as many as possible.

iPhone 4

• Apple announces iPhone 4: retina display, LED flash, A4, 802.11n, gyroscope, 5 megapixel camera, 720p video
• Apple iPhone 4 video: this changes everything. Again.
• Are you getting an iPhone 4? - poll
• iPhone 4: $199/16GB, $299/32GB, available June 24 in US, France, Germany, UK, Japan
• AT&T details iPhone 4 launch, subsidies, iPhone 3GS discounts
• iPhone 4 vs Droid Incredible vs Android Evo 4G vs Nexus One tech specs
• What kind of case do you want for your iPhone 4?

iOS 4

• iPhone OS 4 is now iOS 4, coming June 21
• Apple introduces FaceTime video calling — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 [updated with video]
• iOS 4 GM seed now live, app submissions begin June 10

Apps

• Apple updates iBooks for iPad and iPhone, adds notes, bookmarks, PDF support, sync
• Apple announces iMovie for iPhone
• Guitar Hero now available in App Store
• New iPhone apps: Netflix, Farmville, Guitar Hero
• Safari 5, now available for Mac and PC

WWDC 2010

• 100,000,000 iOS devices sold, 5 billion apps downloaded — WWDC 2010 by the numbers
• WWDC predictions, iPhone pre-order, Win a 4th gen iPhone, iPhone carriers - From the Forums
• WWDC 2010 – What We Didn’t Get

So, what was your favorite bit of iPhone news today? And what was your least favorite?

iPhone developer extraordinaire Erica Sadun has been running a great series of "iPhone Dev Sugar" posts over on TUAW:

• Should you be building universal apps for App Store?
• Create shiny buttons easily
• Simulating device events with iSimulate
• Re-signing applications - Installing the 3.2 SDK alongside the 3.1.1 SDK
• Three lessons from the iPhone (big fingers, attention spans, fast launches)
• Letting go of iPhone visual design patterns
• Simple table badges
• Improved Network Reachability routines
• SwapKit

For anyone interested in the nuts and bolts -- and subtleties -- of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch development, they're definitely worth a look. Check them out, and if you have any ninja-level tips of your own to share, don't be shy!

Like many things Apple, the iPad launch has galvanized those who believe it's the "next big thing" from those who believe it's the "latest stink" -- but what about those who, you know, have actually spent time using the thing, and now had a chance to ponder it a bit?

Sure, some are no doubt Apple enthusiasts easily impressed, while others are jaded journalists almost impossible to impress. For a mix of both, follow on after the break.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber has two long posts up about the iPad, and wins the cleverest analogy award hands-down, comparing the Mac to manual and the iPad to automatic transmissions.

Car enthusiasts (and genuine experts like race car drivers) still drive cars with manual transmissions. They offer more control; they’re more efficient. But the vast majority of cars sold today are automatics. So too it’ll be with computers. Eventually, the vast majority will be like the iPad in terms of the degree to which the underlying computer is abstracted away. Manual computers, like the Mac and Windows PCs, will slowly shift from the standard to the niche, something of interest only to experts and enthusiasts and developers.

British actor and tech enthusiast Steven Fry also spent time with the iPad and came away positively giddy because of its simplicity and Apple's perfectionist tendencies towards product development. He also called the iPhone a "100,000 volt taser shot up the jacksie" (whatever that is) to the Nokia, Samsung, Palm, and Blackberrys of the world, so we're predisposed to heart him:

There are many issues you could have with the iPad. No multitasking, still no Flash. No camera, no GPS. They all fall away the minute you use it. I cannot emphasise enough this point: “Hold your judgment until you’ve spent five minutes with it”. No YouTube film, no promotional video, no keynote address, no list of features can even hint at the extraordinary feeling you get from actually using and interacting with one of these magical objects. You know how everyone who has ever done Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? always says, “It’s not the same when you’re actually here. So different from when you’re sitting at home watching.”? You know how often you’ve heard that? Well, you’ll hear the same from anyone who’s handled an iPad. The moment you experience it in your hands you know this is class. This is a different order of experience. The speed, the responsiveness, the smooth glide of it, the richness and detail of the display, the heft in your hand, the rightness of the actions and gestures that you employ, untutored and instinctively, it’s not just a scaled up iPhone or a scaled-down multitouch enhanced laptop – it is a whole new kind of device. And it will change so much. Newspapers, magazines, literature, academic text books, brochures, fliers and pamphlets are going to be transformed (poor Kindle). Specific dedicated apps and enhancements will amaze us.

Engadget editor-in-chief, Josh Topolsky, however, thinks Apple hasn't told a compelling, must-buy story for the iPad (yet?):

There's no question that much of what the iPhone and iPod touch do translates nicely here, and there's no question that some of the tweaks made to native iPad apps are impressive, but nothing I saw made me sit up and think, "Wow, I need this." It's telling that the most intriguing user experiences shown off today were the iPad versions of the iWork suite. iWork? If Steve Jobs hoped to answer the question about why we need this third device, or how it's better than a netbook, he didn't make a compelling case. Where is video chat? Where is multitasking (honestly, only one app at a time for a device of this size and speed)? Why is the lock screen so embarrassingly empty? Why are there no active widgets to fill that huge homescreen space? Where is the expansion of the multitouch user experience? And seriously, where are the media partnerships?

iLounge's Jeremy Horowitz thinks many of us missed the "Minority Report" moment:

Apple didn’t bring flashy demos. It dropped the ball on a few arguably trivial parts of the UI and didn’t bring any really showy software to the event; rather, it focused almost entirely on updates to old apps. The biggest hint of what the iPad will enable was a two-second reference in the N.O.V.A. demo to opening airlocks by putting your fingers on the screen and turning the door handle. It was shown, and if you knew what it was—basically, Metroid Prime using your fingers rather than a Wii controller—you realized what this meant for games, and for other apps on the iPad. This is just not possible on the little iPhone screen unless you have baby fingers.

Mobile analyst Michael Gartenberg, writing for SlashGear, thinks the iPad is neither an iPod touch nor a MacBook:

The form factor is excellent. It’s not too light to feel fragile and, at 1.5 lbs, it’s also not something that’s going to tire you holding it long term. The screen is amazing with a full XGA resolution. I could easily imagine reading for hours on end on this screen and far prefer this idea to e-ink. For one, there’s no annoying refresh that happens with every page turn and, as a backlit display, it’s perfect for reading in dark places, like airplane seats or in bed without disturbing anyone else. The performance of Apple’s silicon is wicked fast. I was pretty skeptical about running existing apps in a pixel-doubled full screen mode. Action games, I figured, would be pretty much out of the question and Apple came fully prepared to answer that question. Existing games ran ridiculously fast and titles optimized for the device make this the ultimate mobile game device. Personally, I’d buy it just for gaming alone.

So it's sounding like, if some aren't convinced about the utility or place of an iPad in the greater computing ecosystem, most who've actually used the hardware have come away impressed. Again, these aren't mainstream opinions -- strictly inside baseball here -- so it will be interested to see how people take to it when they can start walking into their local Apple store and trying it out.

When that happens, will the iPod touch have to duke it out for buyer attention?

With the iPad, Apple introduced its fourth business, TiPb welcomed its newest, biggest sibling to the iPhone family, and we worked our apps off to cover it right. To make sure you didn't miss anything in the deluges of news, views, and posts, here's a handy reference to the story so far:

Big Picture

• TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! #85 — Enter the iPad!
• What Do You Think of the iPad? TiPb Wants Your Take on Apple's Latest Creation
• Apple iPad Tablet — the Complete Specs and TiPb’s Take on Them
• iPad — What We Didn’t Get: Multitasking, Notifications, TV Subscriptions, Camera, Tethering, Textbooks, iTunes.com
• iPhone 3.2 SDK for iPad – VoIP, External Displays, Shared File Directory
• Apple: We’re #1 Mobile Devices Company in World, Bigger than Sony, Samsung, Nokia
• Apple Introduces iPad Tablet!
• Now Streaming and in iTunes — Apple Posts “Come see our latest creation” Keynote Video
• iPad Hands-on Round Up — Who’s touched where and what they think!
• Live Meta-Blog! “Come see our latest creation” Apple iTablet Event

What iPad means for iPhone

• No iPhone at Apple iPad Event. Start Rumors for iPhone 4.0, Verizon in March?
• Did the iPad Look Unfinished Because Apple is Hiding iPhone 4.0 Features?
• What iPhone 3.2 for iPad has, and TiPb wants for iPhone Actual ASAP!
• iPad Compatible with “Almost All” iPhone Apps
• Google Makes it onto iPad, Everything “Stable” for iPhone too?

Drilling into the Details

• iPad Pricing — Wifi Only $499, $599, $699, 3G $629, $729, $829
• iPad 3G, GSM Unlocked, No Contract AT&T Pricing $15 for 256MB, $30 Unlimited
• iPad 4:3 Screen – Bad for Movies, Good for Books and Web?
• iPad Also Debuts Apple A4 Custom-built System-on-a-Chip
• Apple iPad Accessories and Pricing: Keyboard Dock, BT Keyboard, Camera Kit, Standard Dock, Case, Projector Cable
• Apple Introduces iBooks Apps — Stands on Amazon’s Shoulders!
• Apple Introduces All-New iWork for iPad

TiPb hasn't had a chance to get any hands-on time with the no-longer mythical Apple iPad, announced today, but that doesn't mean we can't live vicariously through the awesome power of the interwebs. What does TiPb think? If you call the iPad a big iPod touch, you're right. If you think that's a bad thing, you're nuts fully justified, but we see it as a huge positive, if only a first step. Removing the constraints imposed by a small screen? Yeah, the iPhone OS is just getting started. Apple is legitimately excited about this, and that means iPhone OS, and iPhones are going to benefit. Love. Up.

Now here's a quick rundown of some of the coolest bloggers in the sphere (in alphabetical order), and what they think of the iPad.

• 9to5mac hands-on and video
• Daring Fireball hands on
• Ars Technica hands-on and gallery
• Engadget Hands-on with video
• Gizmodo hands-on and video
• iLounge video walkthrough
• SlashGear hands-on and video

Give them a read and let us know if they change any of your opinions!

Big news round Twitter-way, with Apple adding a few more official Twitter accounts, and Microsoft Bing and Google paying for unrestricted access to real-time search Twitter's firehose of user status posts.

First up, while Apple's never been accused of "getting" social media, and it may come as a surprise they're using Twitter at all, it's not so surprising that -- rather than customer feedback, support, or insight into the iron curtain that shrouds Cupertino -- these accounts are just news/marketing updates on when the latest music and media hits the world's most popular download service. (And some seem less than active at the moment). Baby steps?

You can follow them via: iTunesTrailers, iTunesMusic, iTunesMovies, iTunesTV, and iTunesPodcasts.

Also both Microsoft's Bing and Google have now announced partnerships with Twitter. Bing says:

Were you as fascinated by the 6-year-old boy floating away in a balloon as we were? Was it a hoax? We know that people are going to twitter more and more for information surrounding all the latest chatter. You can now search for what people are saying all over the web about breaking news topics, your favorite celebrity, hometown sports team, and anything else you use Twitter to stay on top of today.

Google says:

We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months. That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you'll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information.

Does this hybrid search model appeal to you? Let us know!

[Ballmer photoshop re-used in honor of Windows 7 launch day]

Apple "rejected" Google Voice for iPhone from the iTunes App Store, the FCC asked Apple, AT&T, and Google to answer some questions about that rejection. Now those questions have been answered-ish, and boy did it result in a flurry of posts here on TiPb and more importantly -- an impressive and penetrating degree of analysis from our commenters.

Have trouble keeping track? Or just want to know what you happily avoided? No worries, we have you covered:

• Apple Responds to FCC Questions (Google and AT&T as Well)
• Apple: 8500 Apps to Review a Week by 40 Odd Reviews
• AT&T To Reconsider VoIP Applications Over 3G? Yeahbuwhat Apple VoIP apps?
• Do Other Countries Lose Out on Apps Because of AT&T Policies?
• Apple iPhone is a Restaurant, Not a Super Market, and They Should Say So on the Sign
• Apple Afraid Google is Taking Over the iPhone?
• Apple Kicking Themselves They Didn’t Buy GrandCentral (Google Voice) First?

It's been a busy week here at TiPb, what with iPhone 3.0 launching last Wednesday and Apple barely giving us time to catch out breath before iPhone 3G S dropped on Friday. As always, we tried to bring you as much info as fast as we could, so in case you missed anything in the mad rush to the third iPhone generation, here's a roundup:

• TiPB Standing in Line for the iPhone 3G S
• TiPb Video: White 32GB IPhone 3G S Unboxing and Quick Look
• iPhone 3G S - Disassembled
• iPhone 3.0 on iPhone 3G S: Battery Percentage Meter Found!
• iPhone 3G S (Finally!) Supports Full Apple Headset Remote Features
• TiPb Video: iPhone 3G S vs. iPhone 3G App Launch Battle Royal!
• TiPb Video: iPhone 3G S vs. iPhone 3G Browser Speed Smackdown
• iPhone 3G S vs. Palm Pre Web Render Benchmarks
• TiPb Video: iPhone 3G S vs Palm Pre: Browser Speed Test
• TiPb Video: iPhone 3G S Multilingual Voice Control Challenge
• Apple Store iPhone 3G S Display Video
• How To: Share iPhone 3G S Video via Mobile Me
• Upgrading to iPhone 3G S? What Are You Doing With Your Old iPhone?

Well, it looks like UPS did indeed deliver a few iPhone 3G S a tad early. Heh. And here's what some of the top guns in tech thought of Apple's newest handset.

Overall, most felt it was evolution rather than revolution, a solid update if not one re-forged in the unicorn tears of it's ancestors. Is the best getting better enough? TiPb will tell you our thoughts after we stand in line tomorrow and grab ours. If you're waiting as well, check out the reviews and let us know what you think:

• Chicago Sun Times: Review: iPhone 3G S is a slick upgrade for a slick device
• CNET: Apple iPhone 3G S - 32GB - black (AT&T)
• Engadget: iPhone 3GS Review
• Gizmodo: iPhone 3GS Review
• New York Times: Apple Fills in Some Gaps With Latest iPhone
• USA Today: Upgrade makes great iPhone even better
• Wall Street Journal: New iPhone Is Better Model–Or Just Get OS 3.0

Last Monday, during the WWDC 2009 Keynote, Apple introduced the iPhone 3G S, the "S" referring to the speed (we're hoping for screaming fast). If the amount of news it's generated is any indication, we're all going to have a hard time keeping up. In an effort to help out, here are some highlight of TiPb's iPhone 3G S coverage:

iPhone 3G S Features

• Apple Announces iPhone 3G S - Ships June 19
• iPhone 3G S — Apple Delivers Mobile Video to the Masses
• Apple Demonstrates Voice Control for iPhone 3G S
• iPhone 3G S — What We Didn’t Get

Should You Upgrade to iPhone 3G S?

• Jeremy's take: TiPb vs. TiPb: Why I AM SO Upgrading to iPhone 3GS
• Chad's take: TiPb vs. TiPb: Why I AM NOT Upgrading to iPhone 3G S
• Rene's take: The Need for iPhone 3G S Speed. Or, What Did You Want, a Built-In Espresso Maker?!

Speeds and Feeds

• Inside the New iPhone 3G S Processors: More than Just Mhz
• iPhone 3G S Speeds and Feeds Revealed: 256MB RAM, 600Mhz CPU
• iPhone 3G S Uses PowerVR SGX to Become One with Speed Force

Platform

• iPhone 3G S Developers Already Splitting the Platform?

Carrier Plans and Info

• AT&T Posts iPhone 3G S Info Video
• Would You Sign a 3-Year AT&T Contract to Get iPhone 3G S at $199/$299 Subsidy Pricing?
• Rogers/Fido to Sell iPhone 3G S in Canada, $199/$299 on June 19
• Rogers Canada Brings Back $30/6GB Data Plans for iPhone 3G S
• O2 Releases iPhone 3G S Pricing for UK, Yeah
• Best Buy to Offer iPhone 3G S Insurance

It's been a busy day here on TiPb, so just in case you missed anything, here's a roundup of all our WWDC 2009 news and coverage.

• TiPb WWDC 2009 Live Meta Blog
• Apple Posts WWDC 2009 Keynote Live Stream
• Apple Announces iPhone 3G S - Ships June 19
• Apple Posts iPhone 3G S Guided Tour
• iPhone 3.0 Release Date: June 17
• 2008 iPhone 3G Now Priced to Move! $99 Starting Today!
• iPhone 3G S — What We Didn’t Get
• AT&T — MMS Later. Tethering… Um… Er… Bai!
• AT&T Responds: iPhone 3.0 MMS and Tethering
• Rogers/Fido to Sell iPhone 3G S in Canada, $199/$299 on June 19
• iPhone 3G S — Apple Delivers Mobile Video to the Masses
• Apple Demonstrates Voice Control for iPhone 3G S
• iPhone 3G S - 2x Faster, but Still no 802.11n
• MobileMe Update Coming June 17: Find my iPhone, Remote Wipe, iDisk Mobile, File Sharing, Public Folders
• Apple Releases iPhone 3.0 Gold Master to Developers + WARNING!

Over the last few weeks, one of our all-star forum reviewers, msbaylor, has been putting a massive amount of iPhone To-Do apps through their paces: Things, Appigo's ToDo, Toodledo, Done, Zenbe Lists, Ultimate ToDos, and Firetask. Well now he's to-done, and you can check out his colossal review roundup on our forums (along with screenshots and videos aplenty!)

On behalf of everyone seeking that holy grail of To-Do nirvana, we can't thank Matt enough for going to all this trouble. Here's what he wanted, but read it quick so you can get to the good stuff!

• Sync (not at additional cost)
• Sleek/non-confusing interface
• sub-tasks
• due-date
• priority

TiPb typed our iPhone-loving fingers off yesterday, the first day of Macworld Expo 2009. If you missed any of our coverage, here are the links below. Now we're off to day 2, so check back soon 'cause we'll be bringing you the best and the brightest iPhone apps and accessories we can find on the show floor. We'll also try to Twitter as much as we can in between posts via @theiphoneblog and @reneritchie

• TiPb at Macworld 2009 Keynote Live Blog!
• Macworld: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Demo Video
• Macworld: Exhibition Day 1 Photo Gallery
• Macworld: New iLife iPhoto 09 Integrates Slide Shows for iPhone
• Macworld: Apple Announces Keynote Remote App for the iPhone
• Macworld 2009 Keynote Photos
• Macworld: Direct Music Downloads for the iPhone via 3G (Updated: and EDGE!)
• Macworld: iTunes Goes DRM FREE!

Before we hit the sure-to-be-craziness of WWDC, TiPb has some definite house cleaning to do. Meaning lucky for you readers, more roundups! With Rene handling every roundup possible for the iPhone 3G and beyond I thought it'd be a great time to focus on the device we've all been unconsciously neglecting: the iPhone!

Every few weeks, I'll present you with a quick list of web apps, native apps, and games that should tie up any loose ends that we might have missed. Click on each link to learn more about the program and be sure to mention your experience in the comments or forums. Before we start, with the iPhone 3G just mere days away, make sure you participate in TiPb's Wait-A-Thon-Tastic and give yourself a chance to win a FREE iPhone 3G!

Read on for the Rest of the Software Roundup!

Web Apps

HyperOffice promises to make your iPhone a mobile business collaboration and productivity tool. With HyperOffice, you can share your data with associates and clients. Also, you can access your data in Outlook and even remain in sync. HyperOffice is an award winning software that makes things easier for iPhone business users.

iZoho

Zoho is a web office suite that includes tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, etc. With the launch of 2.0, Zoho has completely revamped their web app, iZoho, for the iPhone. The new design introduces tabbed interface for easy navigation between Zoho Apps. I gave iZoho a twirl and couldn't manage to edit my documents as promised, viewing was a cinch though. However, the interface is slick and I remain hopeful that the customizability of Zoho can translate to the iPhone.

Mobispine

Mobispine is a free mobile news reader that offers easy categorization and over 250,000 global sources to comb through. It's a great way to streamline your daily blog visits and quicken the pace for how you read websites. The best thing is it's easily customizable!

Widgetop

This web app allows you to run single Dashboard widgets from the Widgetop catalog without loading Mobile Widgetop Desktop. Essentially, it puts the widgets on the homescreen of the iPhone which allows for easier access to the widgets.

Games

A FPS that uses the accelerometer and multi-touch for controls is planned to be released very soon. There is a video of gameplay footage and graphic-wise it is pretty amazing. This is probably a first glimpse of many, many FPS to come to the iPhone.

Tribal

For jailbroken iPhones this game has a basic premise but is executed beautifully. The graphics and animation are definitely exciting but the gameplay leaves a lot more to be desired. The whole idea behind the game is to "shoot the targets that pop up on the screen". As simple as it is, it's a great time killer when waiting for the next appointment.

temper4iPhone

An old favorite for the oldies. Temper4iPhone is an emulator of TurboGrafx-16 also known as PC Engine for the iPhone. Which basically means, you can play Bonk on the iPhone. Emulators are a sweet way to gain access to incredibly vast game libraries rich with history.

Native Apps

This Native App for jailbroken iPhones allows you to post new web logs to your LiveJournal account. With a simple interface, it serves as an extension of your LiveJournal page and could be extremely useful for anybody who wishes to blog-on-the-go. Since it's in the beginning stages of development there is still much more work that can be done.

RetroPhone

Ever wanted a rotary dialer for your iPhone? It's trendy these days to use our advanced technology to recreate ancient technology, isn't it? It'll be available through the AppStore. Can't wait for a developer to create a telegram machine for the iPhone..

And that's it for this roundup! Hope you guys listened to Dieter on how to prep for WWDC. And be sure to be a part of TiPb's Live Color Commentary Blog!

Back in April, we lamented that the month ended pretty much exactly where it started, 6 iPhone's launched, 1 announced for Canada, 7 rumored around the rest of the globe, and not much else on the horizon.

Wow. What a difference a month makes!

Here we are at the end of May, and we have the same 6 launched, but an unbelievable 45+ countries/territories announced, presumably for the iPhone 3G, presumably in June following Apple's WWDC and Steve Jobs' scheduled Keynote.

What's left for June? China? Japan? Russia? A roof-blowing "one more thing" announcement of the iPhone 3G being sold unlocked?

What do you think?

Unofficial end of May scorecard:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T)

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel), Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Denmark (TeliaSonera), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Estonia (TeliaSonera), Finland (TeliaSonera), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), Hong Kong SAR (Hutchison) India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Latvia (TeliaSonera), Lithuania (TeliaSonera), Macao (Hutchison), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Norway (TeliaSonera), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil), Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel), Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

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:

	Europe	North Am.	South Am	Asia	Africa	Oceania	Antarctica
Launched	5	1	0	0	0	0	0
Announced	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Rumored	3	1	0	2	0	1	0

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?

Well, in iTunes 7.5, free ringtones are back. It turns out that you can do the old trick of renaming an AAC music file to turn it into a ringtone. To get it to work, take any 30 second m4a file in finder, rename the extension to be m4r, and drag it in to iTunes. Voila!

For the iPhone, folks figured out how to downgrade the iPhone firmware to the older 1.1.1 firmware to get all the fun goodies if you decide that 1.1.2 isn't all that great, or you miss the ease of the jailbreakme.com installer.

It seems that the iPhone modem firmware has been unlocked as well, meaning that they've figured out how to unlock 1.1.2 iPhones once the jailbreak is easy enough. A simpler GUI app will probably show up in the next few days.

Hackers have figured out how to re-flash the radio in 1.1.2 so it is now safe to unlock the iPhone, as you can "revirginize" the iPhone after unlocking it to avoid any bricking with the next update.

The 1.1.2 iPhone software has already been jailbroken. The software isn't quite out of beta yet, it works only with Intel machines, and you'll have to read a readme.txt file to figure it out, but it's available for download if you need it. If you want to jailbreak 1.1.2, you'll have to do most of the work from 1.1.1, so keep that downgrade link handy.

And for the last little tidbits, if you have an iPhone with 1.1.2 firmware connected to iTunes 7.5, it gives you the battery status in a little icon next to the eject button in iTunes. And, if you put your computer with iTunes 7.5 to sleep, it will still charge the iPhone. Oh, and you can sync entire events from iPhoto '07 to the iPhone instead of just photo albums.

Mr. Fired-From-Disney Himself

First on the list is Michael Eisner, who blames Jobs and iTunes for the Writer's strike, of all things. He claims that Apple has ruined the download model for everybody, and that only Apple makes any money. Everyone else is begging for crackers at lunch. Yeah, right.

The studios make deals with Steve Jobs, who takes them to the cleaners," Eisner said.

"They make all these kinds of things, and who's making money? Apple! They should get a piece of Apple. If I was a union, I'd be striking up wherever he is.

Eisner further predicts that online media won't make any money for another three years. Unless you're Apple, that is. If you're Apple, online media is making money now.

LG Introduces the QZ-6%7g#!

I tend to avoid posting news of "iPhone killers" because it's just not going to be true. There are some companies that have a shot at making an iPhone killer, but they're years away. I think Palm could do it for example, but we won't find out for another year or two. Apple probably doesn't have to worry about that one for a while.

And in the "don't have to worry about it now" category, LG introduced a phone that looks like an iPhone in Europe. I hate to say it, but no one will be excited about the Prada-esque outer stylings of the LG phones until LG can drink in some user interface design mojo. Can you remember to get excited about something called the LG-KS20? I doubt it, though I bet its existence makes Dieter happy.

A Coalition of the Aimless

I know that Google's new linux smartphone operating system Android is supposed to be big news, but I can't help it: I don't think it is, and I don't think it will be. There are already a bunch of linux smartphone systems where all the driver work is done and all you have to worry about is the user interface customization. I checked out the websites of the companies that are part of the Android consortium, and I hate to say it but their UI work appears to be featurephone-based and pretty busy. Not that I'm a UI expert, but still, I know that a clean interface is better than a cluttered one.

There's already a bunch of people doing this, and some of them have a phone out now that does everything already: OpenMoko, QTopia, Access Linux Project, and Palm will probably join this list perhaps a year after Android is actually released. But look at the list of companies in their press release: none of them have shipped their own mainstream user interface before except for Nokia. And I don't think that it's in Nokia's best interests to succeed too much in this venture at the cost of their Symbian S60. I wish them all success, but I think success is a tall order.

No One is Panicking

I'm glad to see that all of the other smartphone makers are all confident that they'll be able to beat the iPhone, or that they're at least not panicking about it. If you want a list of how other companies are mimicking the iPhone form factor, the BBC has put together a list of the heavyweights.

Today's podcast is a big one. We cover all of the new news with the upcoming O2 and T-Mobile launches, the Smartphone Round Robin sides of things, Google's Android and whether it competes with Apple, plenty of iTunes news, and the final words from the community..



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Phone Different Podcast Number Eight For Monday November 5 Tuesday November 6, 2007



I never start by saying there isn't much news, and this week is no different.

iPhone Section




• the Smartphone Round Robin. Been a lot of fun, actually.


• Jennifer's First Looks and Jennifer's last looks on the iPhone at TreoCentral.


• My First Looks at the Curve. and my Last Looks at the Curve


• iPhone on O2 and T-Mobile on Friday. As they say, "Ab 9. November exklusiv bei T-Mobile."





• jailbreaking: easiest method yet


• 1.1.2 firmware prevents TIFF jailbreak hack. if you want to jailbreak, skip 1.1.2 for now.


• iTunes 7.5 on the way very soon. maybe in tandem with iPhone update? it was the iTunes in use for the 1.1.2 firmware.


• Pontificate: Leopard iPhone update? Notes sync, etc.


• Developers eager to fill holes in iPhone functionality





• Apple dealing directly with show producers. Apple doesn't have to deal with the networks (case in point, scrubs) in all cases. In many cases, they deal with not the network but the actual producer of a show.


• NBC Wanted iPod Cut. A cut of the iPod sales would cut Apple profit margins. Apple would never say yes to this. Plus, iPod market isn't saturated yet. How much growth is looming for NBC?



• About iTunes 7.5 for Mac:
iTunes 7.5 features the ability to activate iPhone wherever service is offered and support for Phase, a new interactive music game designed exclusively for iPod nano (third generation), iPod classic, and iPod (fifth generation). This release also includes bug fixes to improve stability and performance.

  




• Lots of community sites in legal danger, not this one


• Refusing Cash for iPhones... stop 5 at a time unlockers?


• Leopard is out.


• GPhone / Android, Engadget Letter





• Finally have AT&T 3G at my house... nice to have the tilt around for testing. Part of AT&T's core network upgrades (link again). mebbe some tilt chat.



Store



store dot phonedifferent dot com

Phones are staffed with our sales and support staff from 8AM eastern standard to 8PM eastern standard.

to call the store: 866 757 7752

to email the store: sales@phonedifferent dot com








Griffin California Roll ($19.95)






A lot of organizer cases try to be everything: a wallet, a business card dispenser, a change purse, you name it. What makes the Griffin California Roll excellent is that it doesn't try to do everything. It just takes care of the stuff you want to carry with your iPod. Charging cable? Check. Headphones? Check. Spare Case? Sure, why not? The clever wrapping storage has 3 compartments with which you can use to store pretty much anything that's smartphone-sized.









Spotwave Z1900 Indoor Wireless Coverage System ($299.95)






A bunch of iPhone customers came from AT&T from other carriers. If AT&T's coverage isn't up to snuff, it might be worth checking out the Spotwave Z1900. It boosts signals for many areas, and can also be used to boost signal penetration in a home or business. They even have a lookup site so you can see if the signal coverage in your area would be improved.









Belkin TuneTie Cord Keeper ($9.95)






This innovative little tie will change the way you use and stow headhones. Everyone knows that headphones get all jumbled up, twisted and turned into impossible knots that would confound anyone. Thankfully, there's an excellent and inexpensive way to take care of this problem. The Belkin TuneTie Cord Keeper is very lightweight, and is as an excellent way to tie up all that excess headphone cable that you weren't using. And it makes it very easy to stow headphones too!





Community

Contact Us!

To contact us, dial 866 757 7752 extension 222. or you can email us at podcast at phonedifferent dot com, it goes directly to both of us.

Highlights from the community:




• some users returning to the tilt. article tomorrow!


• Phone Different Forums for the Smartphone Round Robin. So much stuff there. only other place is CrackBerry.com. Contest aspect.



The fourth annual iLounge 2008 Buyers Guide works for the iPhone and iPod, and is viewable online for smaller screens like the iPhone, iPod Touch, or laptops. If you prefer, for desktop viewing.

Verizon is lowering their data rates for feature phones in preparation for competition with the iPhone. Expect a snarky comment from Dieter on this one. Unfortunately, their smartphone data rates are still sky-high. And, you can add a Canadian roaming plan for just $20. The Phone they're thinking about using to "compete" with the iPhone is the Samsung F700, though they might re-brand it as the U940. That's some "brilliant marketing." I don't usually report on "iPhone killers," but I'm glad to see the iPhone forcing prices down for everybody.

Rumors from AppleInsider indicate that iTunes 7.5 will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. This probably means that any iPhone updates with post-Leopard goodness require an iTunes update. This iTunes update will also bring support for the UK, German, and likely French iPhones. Oh, and it will include better duplicate song management. w00t!

Mark/Space, makers of many popular "Missing Sync" smartphone sync softwares, have announced their intent to release "Missing Sync for the iPhone" later this year. Their software will include Notes.app syncing, SMS backups, better call log management, and a migration tool to copy data from a BlackBerry, Palm OS, or Windows Mobile smartphone.

Shocking you with a day early this time instead of a day late. For podcast 7 we talk about CTIAthe iPhone on Orange, possible unlock rumors, a product red version possibly coming, an SDK in february plus some widget speculation, some leopard speculation, webapps, and a brief hacking segment. And then, a bit on the iTunes plus price cut, Greenpeace, new Apple ads, and att.com making changes. And of course the usual chat about the community.

No less chock full of stuff than last week, but I managed to shave off a few minutes and keep us under 50 minutes. How did I do it? By shaving off the talks about Apple vs. gateway / acer / packard bell. Sharp listeners, look for the "I'm going to cut this" and Dieter being sad. I'll post it up later today.

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News

Phone Different Podcast #7 for late (?) Friday October 19, 2007

Since we'll be in San Francisco for CTIA on Monday, and I'll be in the air during the time I'd usually be editing the podcast, we're going to release this podcast on a friday. Who knows, if we like it, we just might stick with it. In other news, we're going to CTIA.

iPhone Section

• finally confirmed iphone in france on orange. there are unlocked rumors, they're called rumors for a reason. My french is not so great, but my understanding is that it must be sold 'nu', or 'naked', as in sans contract. not unlocked. That's belgium and finland that have the unlocked law, maybe some other euro countries? I'm willing to have egg on my face if I'm wrong.
• more work for Apple legal. another iphone dispute might delay iPhone on Rogers in Canada.
• product (red) iphone in the works?

Apps section

• native apps in february is the big news here. whither widgets? So many rumors right now. part of me still expects widgets before an SDK. older rumors that apple was incorporating a google gears-like feature.
• some new functionality coming with leopard?. doubters should note the cagey language.
• Apple posts webapp directory, not designed for browsing on iPhone. huh?
• hacking bits
  • firmware decrypted, all that stuff. iPod touch too.
  • 1.1.1 jailbreaked, now pretty easy. works with the tiff image viewing vulnerability. oh hey, be careful viewing tiff files. expect a patch, oh, maybe the day leopard comes out, since iphone updates have been rolling in on thursdays recently.
  • AnySim, free unlock, works with 1.1.1.
  • since there's no easy "virginizer" for bricked 1.1.1 iphones from free unlock, best bet currently is to buy IPSF to fix the radio.
  • as always, let some other poor dumb b*d die for his country. I mean brick his or her iPhone. wait a few days after the next update to see where the fire is.

iTunes Section

the download market is changing, and rapidly

• universal,
• iTunes price cut. iTunes plus tracks now 99¢ instead of 129¢. dang I love unicode. [this script was written a day before Gruber wrote this. ZORM]

Apple Section

• Greenpeace is not happy with the iPhone. I'm pretty green, but let's call a spade a spade: attention whore! Too much PVC, BFR, phthalates. Apple's response is pretty classy, but they still face yet another lawsuit over disclosure of those phthalates.
• new ads for the iPhone. 2nd set too.

Bonus AT&T Section

AT&T making changes to avoid regulation, won't look directly in the senate's eye. first change is to prorate the contract cancellation fee, usually $150 to $200. I expect more in the future; hail Sauron.

Store

store dot phonedifferent dot com
Phones are staffed with our sales and support staff from 8AM eastern standard to 8PM eastern standard.
to call the store: 866 757 7752
to email the store: sales@phonedifferent dot com

Smartphone Experts Metal Cover ($19.95)
The Metal Cover is fully reversable -- if you want the iPhone's screen to be protected, you can place the iPhone in the Metal Cover face in. The inside of the Metal Cover is cushioned with soft velvet, ensuring that your screen won't scratch when the cover is on. When you need to use it, you just flip the cover to the back side, and all of the buttons are available at your fingertips. It's available in three glossy metal finishes: Black, Silver, and hot Pink.

Jabra BT3010 Bluetooth Headset ($39.95)
If you get tired of looking at the same Bluetooth headset every day, then maybe the Jabra BT3010 is the headset for you. You can change the look of the headset by popping out a plastic cover and putting in a paper design sheet. The BT3010 ships with 33 designs to suit any individual aesthetic, and you can make more at Jabra's website. Best of all, the headset can be used in-ear our over-the-ear and has 8 hours of talk time!

Smartphone Experts UltraSlim Holster ($29.95)The Smartphone Experts UltraSlim Holster is a simple, excellent looking vertical pouch case, with a tough steel belt clip in the back. The case is 100% leather, so you know that it's built to last. It's available in 5 eye-catching colors: black, brown, copper, crimson, and arctic white.

Community

Contact Us!
To contact us, dial 866 757 7752 extension 222. or you can email us at podcast at phonedifferent dot com, it goes directly to both of us.

Highlights from the community:

• Nokia finally adds touch screen support to S60. degenerated into a touchscreen efficiency discussion, mostly about the iphone. good usability points there.
• iphone by papichu. sparked some good discussion about iphone vs. palmos
• apple oks 3rd party iphone applications by cellmatrix. some responses, a lot of hesitation about signed apps and delivery mechanisms. there's definitely some want for free apps.

It's an even bigger podcast than last week, coming in at almost an hour. We talk about some of the ins and outs of the new firmware, the danger to unlockers, rumors of iPhones abroad in Canada and France, the recent rumors of 2nd party apps, widgets and human interface guidelines, and of course the hacked apps. Then, we talk about Jobs and his reality distortion field, and some of the Apple lawsuits out there. And of course, the community gets the final words.

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News

Phone Different Podcast #6 for late October 8, 2007

Introduction. Talking about our recent audio woes that have delayed the last two podcasts. We've both had some problems with Audacity, which is probably overkill for just recording wav/aiff. I'd love to use audio recorder, but performance on PowerPC isn't as good on intel, and our recording tracks get out of sync. We'd be using it with an M-Audio FastTrack type kit. Any suggestions, send us an email, call, or anything.

iPhone Section

• New iPhone Firmware v1.1.1
  • my impressions of the 1.1.1 update.
  • features of 1.1.1
  • 1.1.1 Update released. Bricks unlocked iPhones. Lots of trouble with it
  • unlockers: don't update. There needs to be a way to invisibly re-lock your firmware before you try to update to 1.1.1 if you've unlocked your phone and want to move to 1.1.1. Best thing is to wait until there's a reliable way to relock firmware, or just get used to 1.0.2 and don't update.
• iPhone in Canada in 2 weeks? Just a rumor? Rogers is still mum, doing much better than before.
• Also, Apple and Orange in France may be having some trouble.

Apps section

apple taketh away, and apple giveth. more taketh a lot than I'd like or expect.

• Are widgets on the way?
• Apple posts human interface guidelines for web apps. This same set of HIG would apply to Widgets too...
• Are actual apple-blessed apps on the way? Lord I hope so. The NES emulator is nice, but touch/tap gameplay is pretty awkward. Would be nice to see the office / productivity apps swell too. Something to replace notes high on my list.
• 1.1.1 firmware jailbreak, meaning that we'll get 3rd party applications back again soon enough. Note: When I'm talking about ABIs and APIs here, ignore me, I'm woefully wrong. Apple changed the frameworks; that's why third party apps need the recompile.

iTunes Section

3rd party ringtones still broken. Apple deliberately hosing everyone else.

• Amazon MP3. Woot!
• Radiohead: In Rainbows. whatever you want to pay plus a 90¢ administrative fee? something like that. A label's nightmare.
• zunes. Even if they're an also-ran, they're a dangerous also-ran in the event that Microsoft decides to dump money behind it. Get Dieter to open up about Windows Mobile some here. Make him own up to improper use of the word "iphone killer"
• using the word competitor fast and loose here. Plays for sure indeed.

Apple Section

lots of negative press recently

• Contradictory Jobs quotes short circuit his reality distortion field
• Pull 1.1.1? I kind of wish they would have. Not the greatest of updates; the hubbub behind it indicates to me that the price cut and early adopter rebate was a carefully scripted event.
• Class Action Lawsuit. Dongmei Lee, who wants to be a millionaire. Like the Wash. Judge that sued his dry cleaners over their ruining his pants.

Store

store dot phonedifferent dot com
Phones are staffed with our sales and support staff from 8AM eastern standard to 8PM eastern standard.
to call the store: 866 757 7752
to email the store: sales@phonedifferent dot com

XtremeMac TuffWrap Case ($19.95)
The XtremeMac TuffWrap Case is a svelte silicone skin case that affords optimal protection for your iPhone. It features ridges along the side to aid in gripping your iPhone, so you're much less prone to drop it. Best of all, the TuffWrap includes a built-in screen protector, so unlike many other skin cases, you don't have to purchase both a case and a screen protector.

Samsung WEP 500 ($79.95)
Samsung makes some of the best small in-ear BlueTooth headsets in the world; they proved that with their diminuitive WEP-200. I'm happy to report that the WEP 500 continues with that fine tradition. The WEP-500 is ridiculously small, and yet delivers pleasing sound quality with noise reduction and echo cancellation, and still delivers similar talk time. It even includes a tiny charger case, so you don't have to worry about damaging the headset in your car, pocket or purse.

v-moda Vibe In-Ear Headphones for Apple iPhone ($99.95)
The v-moda Vibe Headset is a premium quality wired headset. Though the standard iPhone headphones are nice, they're not the best for active lifestyles, and they let a lot of environmental sound bleed through the audio. The Vibe headset addresses that with 3 sizes of silicon eargels, a very low weight, The Vibe headset offers optimized acoustics and a supreme musical experience aimed squarely at both music afficionados and active iPhone owners.

Community

Contact Us!
To contact us, dial 866 757 7752 extension 222. or you can email us at podcast at phonedifferent dot com, it goes directly to both of us.

Highlights from the community:

• possibly something to come in a future update -- Chadman noticed a little discrepancy in the clock icon.
• splashid: a challenger appears. Did you know that you can comment on our articles directly from the forum?
• What do you want to see in the phone different podcast? We're still new at this, and it's your chance to change the format. We aim to please. Leave a comment in the thread associated with the podcast show notes, email, or call.

In podcast number five, we discuss the crazy amount of news from the previous two weeks. The main topics are sales volume, iPhone in Europe, ringtones, iTunes and firmware updates, GUI unlocking and the risk it brings, and 3G iPhone rumors. And, as always, we discuss some of the best bits from the community.

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Phone Different Podcast #5 for Monday, September 24 2007

News

• iPhone Section

it's silly to have an iphone section of an iphone podcast, and yet here it is. the iphone iphonecast section.

• Apple sold a million iPhones, and they're practically doubling production for 4Q. And their price cut has tripled sales for the time being.
• 3G iphone: rumor won't go away in spite of itself. What shows up in the next iPhone anyway? Improved software is what I want.
• $100 early adopters is live. Personally torn between Leopard ($129) and fancy headphones ($100).

The iPhone coming to Europe. All these links plus the scandinavia news make this section a smörgåsbord. I recently changed the encoding on our server to unicode so we can get the cool letter bits to look right. O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Zut Alors! Orange in France, Maybe TeliaSonera and Telenor in Scandinavia, Vodaphone wants a 2nd chance

Lastly, is Apple repeating their strategy with the iPod? Secure the high-end of the market, then spread lower-cost derivatives throughout the market (like with the iPod mini, iPod Nano, etc)

Store Section

Reviews, really briefly

• the marware sidewinder holster, plus Dieter's monday review. get it cheap with the 'SIDEWINDER' coupon code nets 30% off of $24.95, almost $7 1/2 bucks off. not bad.

store dot phonedifferent dot com
Phones are staffed with our sales and support staff from 8AM eastern standard to 8PM eastern standard.
to call the store: 866 757 7752
to email the store: sales@phonedifferent dot com

Community

Contact Us!
To contact us, dial 866 757 7752 extension 222. or you can email us at podcast at phonedifferent dot com, it goes directly to both of us.

Highlights from the community:

• verbal request: how to encode video for iPhone / iPod Touch for Windows and Mac from Brent P. I was sick this week, should be up next week. Promises, Promises. Knew you'd never keep...
• treo switchers by alanmushnick still going strong with experiences. will likely continue to be a relevant thread for a long time.
• Treo to iPhone by scouter075, especially notable for the splashdata for iphone request found by JesseNYC.
• itunes 7.4.2 out by cmaier, broken ringtones and reboots, general "shout out" for him being way on top of things and for developing a bunch of web games for the iPhone. check it out.

In podcast number four, we talk at length about the implications of Apple's price cut, the $100 apple store coupon, ringtones, other news from "the Beat Goes On," unlocking news or lack thereof, and much, much more. Plus, our usual looks to the community.

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Phone Different iPhone iPhonecast Podcast #4

Phone Different Podcast for Monday September 10, 2007

banter

News

• Apple's Crazy Media Event!
  • $200 price drop!
  • makes original adopters unhappy
  • but now they get $100.

Phone Different Store

Reviews, really briefly

• Aquapac Case Review: shameless self-promotion!
• Smartphone Experts Adapter: what makes this item good?

contact the store:
store dot phonedifferent dot com
866 757 7752

contact us:
866 757 7752 extension 222
or podcast at phonedifferent dot com

Community

• Wow, the iPhone just drop $200 in price by Whatever7
• iPhone users crying for refunds already by Crimson

Holy smokes! Apple has put a $200 price cut on the 8 GB iPhone, and dropped the 4GB version altogether. That's right, the 8GB iPhone is now $399. Where do I line up for my $200 check? I'm equal parts filled with rage for paying a $200 early adopter fee, and equal parts filled with glee for a $200 price cut. I'm glad that it makes the iPhone that much more accessible for everyone else. I just feel a little sore when I sit, that's all.

I have colleagues that believe the price cut is a portent of a hardware refresh. I have a hard time believing Apple would refresh their iPhone hardware so soon after launch, but I should float the idea out as speculation. I believe a 3G version is possible, perhaps in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2008. The part of me that hopes I'm wrong is the part of me that wants my iPhone to be new forever. Sigh

There's an iTunes update tonight that will bring Ringtones support. For a select portion of their music catalog (about 500,000 songs altogether, or 8% of the songs available on iTunes), you can make a ringtone if you've already purchased the song. All in all, the song to play on the iPod and the song to play as a ringtone is $1.98. Song portion: $.99, same as always. Ringtone: $.99. I think the extra fee is for the 'public performance' licensing aspect of ringtones. It will be interesting to see if the iTunes update breaks iToner, iFuntastic, or the indomitable iPhoneRingtoneMaker. Let's hope not.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will come to the iPhone in an update later this month. Look for it on a Tuesday afternoon this month, I'd bet. You will be able to purchase any music from the iTunes store and download it via wi-fi. I doubt you will be able to purchase it via EDGE. After all, it's not the iTunes Wireless Music Store. Why not, though? It's easier to say, and less cumbersome to type.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music store will also be available from a bunch of Starbucks in most areas by 2009. The Starbucks in the larger top-ten cities in the US will get the update treatment first, and Starbucks figures they'll have "most major metro areas" by late 2008. Um, I could rollout a storewide wi-fi network faster than that.

In other iPod news, Steve announced the iPod sister to the iPhone, the iPhone touch (8GB for $299 and 16GB is $399), to be available later this month. It's slightly smaller, you'll note from the picture above, and its application functionality has obviously not been totally disclosed. Notably missing from the iPod Touch thus far is a notes app and a maps app.... Hmmm.

The iPod, newly rechristened the iPod Classic, saw updates bringing a new, drastically thinner 80GB version ($249) and a thinner-than-the-previously-thickest 80GB version is the 160 GB version ($349).

The new iPod Nano, regarded by many as an ugly duckling, gets the full iPod treatment. It gains a video-quality screen, and is available in 4GB ($149) and 8GB ($199) versions, and it still works with the Nike+iPod sport kit. As you can see in the picture from Apple's website above, it's a little wee thing, absolutely tiny.

Huh. Apple's iPod lineup looks like a steamroller right now. The Zune, Creative Zen, Sony Walkman line, et al, all look like bumpy roads waiting to be flattened this holiday season.

[via, via, via]

Apple is hosting another media event today. iPod Nanos are expected, and they look drastically different than the current nano. Not everyone is happy with the new look, but from what I can see it looks pretty functional. I think I'm withholding judgment until I've seen what all of their iPod lineup looks like.

Meanwhile, ThinkSecret basically guarantees touchscreen iPods. They also say the iPod nano, featured in the above Gizmodo link, will pack some seriously updated iPod software, and it will be great; it will be revolutionary. Or evolutionary. One or the other, really.

Please note that the screenshots from ThinkSecret above include albums from the Beatles that aren't yet available in the iTunes Store.

Microsoft always seems to pop up with a little snippet of news on event days like this. I think they do this so they can play the 'sour grapes' role of the day, now hints that making a Zune phone is 'not unreasonable.' This is more or less the opposite of what CEO Steve Ballmer said at the D5 conference, so I'm glad to see that they're still talking from both sides of their mouth. They're champs of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Emphasis on the 'uncertainty' part here. And now you know why they play the sour grapes role -- it gets them in the news. But everyone knows somebody that can't tell the difference between negative attention and positive attention, and it's not like there's surging demand for a Zune phone, though I'm sure Windows Mobile users would be happy for the extra functionality.

But back in focus, there's no shortage of hype -- read a paragraph and you can see why Apple's stock is so volatile after announcements. Taken from Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge:

I seriously believe tomorrow is going to be different. I think it’s going to be the day when iPod die-hards, technology geeks, and mainstreamers alike are all going to be genuinely excited by what Apple is going to show. In short, if the release of the iPod mini signaled the start of Apple’s dominance of the digital music player business, and the nano and 5G signaled the end for most of its small competitors and beginning of its video initiative, tomorrow is going to be the final nail in the coffin for Microsoft, Sony, and the bigger players as well. Yes, even with their recent announcements. The only people who will be upset are those who aren’t already on the bandwagon, or the few who (sorry, NBC) jumped off early and got hit by it.

You know though, the scary thing is that he could just as well be right. John Gruber thinks so, so it must be true.

And in other news, T3 reports that a 3G version of the iPhone will be announced today. I think that's a pipe dream; there's no way Apple would update a flagship product 2 months after it came out for the first time. That would flat-out anger the almost-1-million purchasers of an iPhone here in the U.S.A.

Of course, any time Apple updates iTunes, it's always possible that they will also update the iPhone, so I'll be keeping my ear close to the news to see what they have planned. There's plenty of speculation for iPhone Games and ringtones. And it's not just the iPhone Ranch that's expecting it, it's also the New York Post.

like

the

Apple

&

NBC

iTunes

spat

is

heating

up. It was reported that NBC wasn't going to renew their contract, due to expire in December. I reported this in the rejected story links thread in the forums. NBC released a press statement on Saturday to say that it wasn't the bad guy to respond to the Apple press statement on Friday that said that NBC was the bad guy. I'm starting to think that this is just business as usual when dealing with the content providers.

At any rate, Ars Technica has probably the best writeup on it that I've read this morning.

They link to Ed Felten's blog, where he states that AT&T is screwed, and that we'll have an unlock one of these days. Ed Felten is kind of famous in some circles for work with the Govt. in the Microsoft Antitrust trial, his defeat of the SDMI audio watermarking (and the RIAA's bizarre lawsuit that followed), and his utter defeat of Diebold / Premier Election Solutions e-voting machines on TV. He's had some experience here, and knows what he's talking about.

iPod Observer has a good writeup on an article at BusinessWeek that also explores the issue in depth, and BusinessWeek has a bit of their own insightful commentary as well:

"Indeed, this time, hackers may have the law on their side. Remember, decades ago, automakers built their instrument panels so that only authorized radios of their own manufacture would fit in. Eventually, U.S. courts ended that practice."

And no one ever had trouble installing a car stereo again.

There's another writeup on the two currently-poised-to-release-unlocking-software-but-not-really-willing-to-until-the-lawyers-say-it's-ok groups, iPhone Unlocking / John McLaughlin, and iPhoneSimFree. It gives a good view from above if you've not heard about it.

MYiTablet found an interesting article at C|Net that postulates that Jobs wants the iPhone hacked and unlocked; that Apple lawyers doesn't care -- Apple's stake after the sale is tiny:

"Isn't it ironic that AT&T lawyers went knocking on the doors of the hackers while Apple lawyers sipped tea at home?"

I suppose that's a rhetorical question, but NO -- it's not irony. It is insightful and interesting, though. What does Apple get for iPhone service plan revenue sharing, $12 the 1st month and $3/month per subscriber thereafter? He's got a good point, and it's a good article. As a side note, Don Reisinger has some crazy red lips.

figure 1: Seriously, check out the crazy red lips Don Reisinger's got.

And finally, there's a Slashdot discussion about it all too. I don't have anything stupid to say that I want broadcast to the internet today, so I'll skip it. But that option is always there.

So, yeah. Favelets and bookmarklets. In the podcast, I promised a review article about useful bookmarklets and favelets, for the iPhone. And here it is.

I've written a few simple bookmarklets as well; it seems a lot of the bookmarklets are designed for web editors, and not always so much for the average web user. I'm guessing that not many regular folks need to edit CSS from the iPhone, and those that do already have those bookmarklets synched over. But still, there's a void for popular sites. It seemed that all I found were eBay, Amazon, and Google sites. So I set out to make a few of my own, and edit a few others so that they'd work on iPhone Safari (henceforth, iSafari).

If you have any requests for a custom bookmarklet, put them in the comments. It has to be said that I make no guarantees that I can make the resulting request as I'm not an expert with javascript by any means, but the worst that can happen is that I say no. Okay, that's not the worst that can happen. The worst is that I say no VERY IMPOLITELY.

As always, the best way to install these bookmarklets to your iPhone is to drag them to the bookmarks bar in Desktop Safari and give them a name you can remember them by. Then, it may be a prudent idea to organize them into a folder. I've organized my bookmarklets in the last bookmark folder in my menu bar, so it's always the last folder I see.

General Searches

• Find in Page
  From the I-Don't-Understand-Why-It-Wasn't-Built-In Department. This updated version highlights searched-for text as bold with a yellow background it stands out a bit more. It is no help if the background is already yellow. There's not much helping a site with a full-on yellow background, though. At any rate, for those rare occasions, here's one that changes the background to orange.
  [via]

Entertainment Searches

• Yahoo! Movie Times by Zip code
  This one is pretty self-explanatory. I wrote this one quick to see if Yahoo! results are easier to read on an iPhone than Google results.

Writing & Blogging Related Bookmarklets

These are some of the tools that I use to blog and write, though they could be used for many other purposes.

• Post to Del.icio.us
  Of course, it's always handy to have a bookmark to your del.icio.us bookmarks nearby. [via]

Math Tools

These are quick bookmarklets for math. Not something that I use every day, but every once in a while stuff like this is useful to have.

• Random Number
  This favelet asks you to enter a maximum integer, and generate a random number from 1 to that integer. [via]

Passwords

• Find Login with BugMeNot
  BugMeNot is a useful site where people can share logins for sites that require compulsory registration. I wrote this one for quick queries on the iPhone.

The inaugural voyage of our iPhone-centric podcast, by the same folks that gave you the #1 Palm Treo podcast, the TreoCentral Treocast.

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes Coming soon!

As usual, our show notes are after the break.

phonedifferent podcast #1 for july 30, 2007

hi ppl. catchy slogan! soooo.... awkward silence. introduction. new podcast. why we're doing it. how it's the unpopular little brother to the treocentral treocast. how we can say 'podcast' intead of treocast now and that's just great.

iPhone News

1. bookmarklets have been pretty handy.
2. boonies mode, not what I expected: data URLs: mention cookies issue, mention that it's possible to store just about anything as a data uri: images, documents, etc.
3. gripes: fixed view, no way to have your web app behave like an apple app
4. iPhone vulnerabilities
5. iPhone dev wiki
• Ringtones: for mac, for win
• Activation: for mac
• install apache, python
• data tethering
6. Many analysts wrong, but maybe not wrong? Sunday results may be important here.
7. John Gruber calling BS on profit margins
and iSuppli
8. Apple Bluetooth headset: apple store employees claiming it's not officially out, while every other site out there has a review.

Phone Different Store

the phone different podcast is brought to you by the phonedifferent store. visit them at store dot phonedifferent dot com. Call them at 866 757 7752, or call us at 866 757 7752 extension 222.

Featured Items:

Smartphone Experts Screen Protector
Belkin Workout case
Pacific Rim iShield
Contest: sign up for the newsletter, get a daily chance to win a $25 coupon.

Community

Credits

Thanks to the Phone Different Store for sponsoring the podcast. You can email Mike and Dieter at podcast@phonedifferent.com or leave us a voicemail at 866 757 7752 x222.

Our music comes from the following sources:

• Relaxation Spa Treatment by Dan the Automator via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• Wataridori 2 by Cornelius via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• DC 3000 by Thievery Corporation via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future

UPDATED: messed up Matthew Privanek's name. Sorry Matthew!

Development

iPhone Style Development

If there's a 3rd party rockstar developer for the iPhone, it's probably Joe Hewitt. He's been interviewed by Wired.com. He's posted some files that turn normal html lists into iPhone-like sliding lists. This code was used to make digg.com/iphone. Here's link for the main page, the CSS file, and the JavaScript file. Also useful is the code necessary to hide the URL toolbar.

If your web site code is causing endless resets or crashes, he's figured out how to have error messages piped to a python server on your desktop.

He's also working on a iUI, the iPhone User Interface kit. If you're a RSS-loving developer, here's his RSS feed.

Fixed bug

There's an issue with how iPhone Safari deals with fixed navigational elements. The details of it are found at furbo.org. If you want the short view, the problem is that you can't copy the interface of the built-in iPhone apps. For example, you couldn't have a fixed top banner for your site's logo, a fixed bottom banner for your sites toolbar, and scrollable content in the middle. I believe that furbo.org is saying "Boo-urns" about this issue, though with stronger language.

Developer Wants Real SDK

Blogging Developer Wil Shipley of Delicious Monster programs using Cocoa, and he's saying "boo-urns" about the AJAX SDK situation as well, with stronger language and more frequency than Furbo.org. It's worth checking out some of the comments here.

Sensors: Accelerometers and Infrared

MIT's Technology Review is made curious by all of those extra sensors in the iPhone, and they're excited by the interface methods allowable by those sensors if Apple were to release a full SDK that included access to those sensors. The article goes in depth as to possible uses for all of those infrared sensors, microphones, and accelerometers on a mass user scale.

Webkit Style Buttons

If you've been trying to get webkit style buttons, Matthew Privanek of LaunchPad Blog posted a tutorial on how to do dynamically sized buttons with one png image. The advantage of this would be that you could do all of your buttons with this one resizable image, which results in less bandwidth used in a web app. What's good for the goose is good for the gander here.

Hacking

Field Test Mode and SMS / voicemail syncing

You can bring up the iPhone's field test mode by calling 3001#12345# from the iPhone keypad. It will bring up a neat app that shows many different kinds of network information. Also, it appears that visual voicemail alerts are sent via SMS, and there's a special handler in the SMS app that passes them to phone alerts in the Phone app.

The SMS alert comes from the number 1000000000, its composition is below. Note that I've replaced the relevant mobile number with 8005551212:

smpp-vip.allntxacds12.attwireless.net:5400?f=0&v=300&m=8005551212&p=&t=8005551212:A:AMS_NB_VIP6:ms01::5065

If you attempt to reply in SMS to this number, you get an error message:

Error Invalid Number. Please re-send using a valid 10 digit mobile number or valid short code.

In checking out the iPhone with the Field Test guide, I believe that the iPhone downloads the visual voicemail message using a 2nd virtual EDGE interface in the "PDP Information" section (note that you may need to have a voicemail for it to be active). The 1st virtual interface just connects via wap.cingular.com. From our best guess, the SMS message just tells the iPhone to sync up its messages via that 2nd PDP virtual interface.

Unlocking Predictions

In spite of the fact that no one has the 1024 bit RSA key needed to enter the bootloader, teen hacker "geohot," the first person outside of Apple to hack their way into the iPhone guts, predicts the iPhone will be running 3rd party apps within two weeks. The interview that Builder AU has with the teen is pretty interesting, well worth checking out. [via]

Ringtones

It looks like ringtone support is here. It's not a simple affair; it's a 23-step process. But it seems to work, if you trust fuzzy YouTube videos. If you want to try it for yourself, here are the instructions. [via]

CPU Pictures

If you like to look at pictures of other people hacking, the folks at Hacked Gadgets posted their microscopic photos of the iPhone CPU. It's an unbranded job, meaning there's no brand associated with it, nor is there any custom artwork on the chip -- sometimes chip engineers will try to sneak some art on there. [via]

• Ringtone support
• iChat IM

And also in the works but with unknown timelines:

• File Browsing
• Something like USB Mass Storage / Disk Use
• Spotlight Searches
• iTunes Drag-and-Drop
• Cut and Paste
• landscape keyboard for every app
• Camera software update
• Mail app update
• iWork ported to iPhone, with Keynote presentation support

It doesn't look like an official list, not by a long shot, but if it's true I will be a very happy camper. Their list is much more exhaustive, it's well worth checking the article out.
Update 11.07.07 11:37a: Regarding this rumor, Gizmodo isn't exactly what you'd call convinced.

And, while we're talking about rumors, there's a persistent one that's starting to seem very plausible to me. I don't think that Apple is going to re-engineer a 3G phone just for Europe and the rest of the world, leaving Americans fresh from a $500 or $600 purchase in the lurch. Nor would Apple release a 2.5G EDGE phone over there either; Europeans have become attached to their fast internet data.

So I was perusing Ars Technica's iPhone review but mostly just wanted their chip analysis. Ars says it best:

"The IC in the lower-left is purported to be a Multimedia Engine by Infineon by several sources. However, the markings on this device do not match up with any Infineon devices as far as we could tell. This particular part is a jack-of-all trades that can decode/encode audio formats, decode H.264 video, perform EDGE modem capabilities, and interface with Bluetooth, FM radio, and other systems, as well as drive the camera and the high-resolution display. Interestingly enough, the data sheet for this device claims that it is 3G upgradable and contains a WCDMA coprocessor." [emphasis added]

But wait, there's more! Ars Technica isn't the only one talking about a software update to the iPhone that turns it into a 3G phone, so is notable online analyst Robert X. Cringely:

"I think so. The question here is whether 3G is already built into the iPhones shipping now or whether it will require a new model? Given that it is coming so soon after the iPhone introduction, I can't believe that even Steve would make us buy new phones. It is very likely that a firmware upgrade will awaken the 3G within all you iPhone owners." [emphasis added]

Some people think that Cringely is in the same league as online writers such as Dvorak and Enderle, and they don't mean that in a respectful way. And admittedly, Cringely does seem to delve into the improbable every so often. At the same time though, his articles build on a kernel of truth. Cringely reports that a firmware update has to be out by Christmas, and I think he's absolutely right. Apple is going to have to do something to turn those 8/10 scores into 9/10 scores or 10/10 scores. Also, when fantastic Cringely and dependable Ars Technica both agree on something, it's probably worth reporting.

It has to be said that if Apple were to upgrade the radio to include 3G HSDPA for fast browsing, they'd have to re-certify the iPhone with the FCC. I don't know if we'd get a 6 month lead time on the news like with the iPhone, but we'll be keeping an eye on those FCC tests to see if faster 3G certification is on the way.

If all of these were made into news slices, we'd have to reconfigure the page to fit everything in. So, it's going to have to go into a roundup article instead. We'll start with the above cartoon from Gizmodo, who apply the curious moniker of "Jesusphone" to the iPhone. I'm more prone to calling it the Mosesphone, as it's leading me to the promised land of smartphones. If it really was the Jesusphone, all of my other smartphones would suddenly stop sucking, right?

Activation and Deactivation? Inactivation?

Should you wish to avoid these problems, perhaps try this advice, or just trust in the fact that AT&T has fixed the server bug and you had a 98% chance of going through anyway. I've only seen one gripe of a defective iPhone, and the article about it is here.

iPhone Firmware Hacking

The next big story is disassembly and hacking. In addition to our takeapart coverage, there's more at Wired and All Things D.

Wired launched a call to hack the iPhone, as did iPhoneTunes. It was not long before their call was answered, and the iPhone firmware was found [via] They found out what kind of processor the iPhone uses, it's a beefy Samsung processor.

Around the World in 80k

There are still places in the world the iPhone isn't available. If you live in Alaska or the Midwest, this may interest you: AT&T is buying Dobson [via], who owns cell phone companies in Alaska and the midwest. If you're in Europe, this rumor was posted, claiming Vodaphone and T-Mobile both as the iPhone vendor. We'll find out tomorrow if it was true, eh? Also, still no official word on Canada, besides that the AT&T iPhone doesn't work on any network besides AT&T, as it's not available unlocked. A somewhat clueless U.K. company claimed Java is surely the route for games on the iPhone, when Steve Jobs confirmed otherwise.

Activation Hacking

Fear not, though; the race is also on to unlock the iPhone. It's been claimed to be done already, but I think they may have confused activation with unlocking. Speaking of activation, if you want prepaid, there's an easy way to ensure prepaid is offered to you.

Huh, the i-What?

Competitors are unafraid, naturally. In the off chance that they admit they've heard of it, they thump their chest. RIM, makers of popular Blackberries, saw their stock surge up, and by quite a bit. Verizon stayed open late for iDay, but for no apparent reason.

Apple News

Then, there's some Apple news. Apple sold anywhere from 300,000 to 700,000 iPhones. This kind of component speculation is always anyone's guess, but current groupthink puts the actual component cost (that's minus R&D) to be about 200 bucks (more or less what iSuppli predicted), which is a tidy sum of profit for Apple and Foxconn. Also, User guides have been posted online. Secret workings of iTunes 7.3 have been discovered. Apple has posted official store accessories for the iPhone. Universal, clamoring for attention, wants more money and is "threatening" to pull out of #3 music retailer iTunes. $ure, they are.

Other Reviews and Roundups

In addition to ours, there are some full reviews and first impressions at some well respected sites. If this is not enough, there are other roundups out there.