Is iPhone Firmware 1.1.3 Update Fake?

It's no more a secret that iPhone is a huge marketing and PR campaign. As a matter of fact, Steve Jobs has done a magnificent marketing job to promote the device. Please don't get me wrong, iPhone is a really cool device, wonder of the year. However, I firmly believe that without Apple's well thought-out and clever marketing strategy, the device could not have become what it is for now.

It looks like that some blogs are trying to resort to different tricks to attract more visitors and they are especially active for a holiday season.

In the previous two posts we talked about the 1.1.3 firmware update and the photos and the video demonstrated by GearLive.

A couple of minutes ago I came across a very interesting post on the Industrial Design Supersite claiming that the update demonstrated by GearLive is fake. Frankly, the author brings a couple of very interesting points strengthening his assumption. According to him, he is 95% sure that the update is fake. To be correct, the updated demonstrated on the GearLive site is fake.

I recommend you to check that article. Even if the author is wrong, you will still enjoy reading it.

iPhone 1.1.3 Firmware Update Video

In the previous post we talked about the upcoming iPhone 1.1.3 firmware update and the photos that were posted by GearLive. The site went further and has posted a video demonstrating Apple's latest firmware update for iPhone.

You can view the video here: http://video.gearlive.com/video/article/q407-video-iphone-113-firmware-feature-walkthrough/

Leaked iPhone Firmware 1.1.3

I can't believe to it. GearLive has somehow obtained 1.1.3 firmware updatefor iPhone. Visiting their site makes no sense. The site is simply dead. Yeah, too many visitors.

You cannot say that there are any surprising updates. According to GearLive, the new features are:

1. The ability to send an SMS message to multiple people - no need for third party app anymore!

2. Google Maps application can now pinpoint your location using cell tower triangulation - yeah sort of pseudo-GPS.

3. Google Maps can now display the Hybrid map view

4. You can now drag and drop application icons on your home screen - this is really cool.

5. The home screen supports pagination - very nice function.

6. You can now add web bookmarks to your home screen - I think this is one of the coolest enhancements.

Source: http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q407-iphone-113-firmware-feature-gallery/

WiSync Makes iPhone and iPod Touch a Step Closer

iFrancis team has released a cool application for iPhone. WiSync, which was previously known as iSync, has experienced tremendous change. The developers have not only changed the name of the application, but have improved it considerably. The application has own GUI (i.e. no terminal tweaking is necessary), as well as many enhancements in the functionality area.

If you are an iPhone owner, check out this cool application.

The Best Headphones for iPhone

A leading manufacturer of in-ear-monitors for professional musicians, Ultimate Ears, announced a new headphone designed specially for iPhone.

The headphones, named SUPER.Fi 4vi works through the iPhone headphone jack. The accessory sports sleek design, supports voice functions and provides exceptional audio experience.

Five options of ear tips are available for music fans: small, medium and large soft silicon ear tips, as well as dual-flange silicon set.

Unfortunately, the accessory is a bit pricey and would cost you $150. However, the best things in life are almost always expensive.

iToner Catches Up With 1.1.2

In the beginning of September Ambrosia Software released iToner, a nice application for putting custom ringtones on your iPhone.

The company has recently released an update for firmware 1.1.2. The $15 utility upgrade is free of charge of registered users.

Along with the support for the 1.1.2 firmware, the new release provides French, German and Italian localizations. This is quite useful if we take into consideration iPhone's arrival in Europe.

iPhone Emulates PlayStation

There are rumours of SonyEricsson making a PSP branded phone. I don't think that SE will be releasing PlayStation Phone anytime soon. But someone has already managed to play PlayStation 1 games on iPhone.

PlayStation 1 games on iPhone? Sounds weird but it's already a reality. But wait, iPhone doesn't have any buttons. Right, the iPhone doesn't, however for a tough programmer that ain't a problem at all. The guy has easily got around this problem by mapping the PS controls to the touchscreen. Wow!

Source: http://www.pspsps.tv/2007/12/iphone_gets_an_extremely_unoff.html

Pogo Stylus for iPhone

Nobody argues that iPhone's screen is the best component of the wonder device. When you mention iPhone, its fantastic touch screen is what comes to the mind first. However, nothing in life comes cost free. Because fingers are used to operate iPhone, the screen rapidly becomes full of finger smudges and greases. I know people who get really mad on this. Some people even clean the device every five min or so.

Yes, nothing comes cost free. If you have an extra $25 to spend on solving this problem, then the Pogo Stylus from Ten One Design is your choice. The Pogo Stylus is somewhat sicker than ordinary ones and is made from ultra-light aluminum.

More details on this accessory can be found here: http://www.tenonedesign.com/stylus.php

AnySim Goes Open Source

The makers of a popular iPhone unlocking software AnySim have made a decision to make the source code of the hack open source. The source code went online on Friday 7 December.

It's not a secret that open source projects enjoy contribution from many developers. Because of high commitment, the quality of open source software is quite high and bugs are fixed quickly.

Quickly updating software is very important when it comes to unlocking code. There is some speculation that Apple will be releasing new firmware update this month. Taking this into consideration, the development team's move to make AnySim open source is a good decision.

This will keep the software a step ahead of Apple and it will be extremely difficult for the Cupertino company to keep the phone closed.

Yes sure, consumers will benefit from this. Well done!

3G iPhone Appears on the Horizon

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson confirms that a 3G version of the iPhone will be coming up in 2008 for sure. Unfortunately, Mr. Stephenson has not disclosed much detail. No comments have been done neither on the speed of the device nor on the price. Moreover, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris has refused to comment on the topic.

From Apple's perspective, the main issue with the 3G version of the iPhone remains the battery power. The 5 hour mark on a GSM network will most likely will be halved with the current battery. So, the manufacturer's aim is to deliver a 3G version of the phone with equal talk time. Also, it must be noted that an early announcement of the 3G version of the phone will affect the sales of the current device.

Source: http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/11/29/att.3g.iphone.in.2008/

No Signal Bars on iPhone in UK?

"UK 02 (poor signal strength/reception problems) is a title of one of the threads that has recently appeared on Apple's discussion forum.

It turns out that many customers in UK experience severe problem with poor signal / reception on their iPhones.

The first complain appeared on November 11, 2007. That is two days after the device was officially launched in UK.

A customer nicknamed Darkzoo writes:

Yes, my signal is mostly 'No Service', with the occasional one bar, despite
showing coverage on the O2 site - gutted.
In the past, visiting friends with
O2 have had a poor signal here, but better than I am getting.
Mandy

Yet another user writes:

Same here. Been on Orange for 15 years and bought iPhone on Saturday with O2.
Never been unable to get a signal here with Orange but have only managed one bar
on rare occassons on the iPhone in 48 hrs. Is this a fault with the phone or do
O2 simply not have as good a coverage as Orange?

You can view the forum thread here. By the way, it is very active, which means that there are increasingly more people experiencing the problem.

T-Mobile Offers iPhone Without Contract

T-Mobile remains the exclusive provider of Apple iPhones. Following a legal decision, the Bonn-based mobile operator is currently required with immediate effect to offer the iPhone without an obligatory T-Mobile contract as well. The legal conditions are attributable to an injunction submitted by competitor Vodafone D2, who was behind T-Mobile in the race to sell the Apple iPhone in Germany. T-Mobile will meet this requirement until the legal aspects have been clarified.

T-Mobile will start selling the phone for 999 euros ($1,477) immediately as well as continuing to offer it for the discounted 399 euros ($590) in combination with a two-year contract, the company said in a press release.

The legal conditions also require that all devices sold from November 19, 2007 be unlocked free of charge at the customer's request. This is attributable to the fact that the injunction submitted by Vodafone D2 was received on November 19. While unlocking the SIM allows calls to be made in other networks using the iPhone, numerous functions remain exclusively available to T-Mobile customers with a Complete rate plan.

The biggest advantages for T-Mobile customers continue to be the EDGE network, which will offer almost 100 % coverage in the entire T-Mobile network by the end of the year, and access to over 8,000 HotSpots for rapid data traffic via WLAN, covered by the Complete contract. As before, the Apple iPhone is available to purchase for EUR 399 in connection with a Complete M, L or XL contract.

By the same token, the innovative visual voicemail box only functions in the German T-Mobile network. This allows the customer to call up voice messages as well as select and directly access those to be listened to, without having to listen to the previous messages. Just like e-mails, visual voicemail allows the customer to access messages according to personal preferences.

This service is not only the more attractive option in technical terms. Costs are also remarkably low: With the Complete rate plans, exclusively developed for the iPhone, customers save up to 40 percent or EUR 54 per month compared with the individual rate components required for comparative use of another mobile device at T-Mobile. Each Complete rate plan includes a flat rate for free-of-charge data traffic via EDGE or WLAN using the iPhone, and free visual voicemail access within Germany. The smallest rate plan, Complete M, includes 100 minutes and 40 free SMS messages per month.

T-Mobile International is one of the world’s leading companies in mobile communications. As one of Deutsche Telekom’s three strategic business units, T-Mobile concentrates on the most dynamic markets in Europe and the United States. By the end of 2006, more than 106 million customers are served in the twelve T-Mobile markets. T-Mobile is a partner of FreeMove, an alliance formed by four of Europe’s leading mobile companies - Orange, TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), TeliaSonera, and T-Mobile - to help their customers communicate as easily while travelling abroad as they do at home.

Originally featured on Blogvasion.com

Apple's Marketing Strategy is Ruined in Europe

Vodafone may ruin Apple's well thought-out marketing plan. Giving exclusive rights on iPhone to a single operator is a simple and fantastic idea and there is no doubt that this simple strategy has worked for Apple perfectly in the USA.

However, as we have assumed, it would not be as easy in Europe as in the States. Moreover, Vodafone has won an injunction preventing T-Mobile from selling the iPhone in Germany. This fact is a failure of Apple's strategy in Europe's largest market.

Interestingly, as of now, there's some confusion about the extent of the injunction and it seems that even experts are not fully aware whether it is a total ban or SIM-free iPhones can still be sold.

I don't think German's will be left without iPhones. Most likely sales of the device will be resumed shortly and it is expected that German consumers will be able to purchase SIM-free iPhones. If this happens in other European markets (UK, France, etc), it is very interesting to see how this will be reflected on Apple.

As I have mentioned in of the previous posts, the exclusive marketing plan is totally out of question in the Asian markets.

From iPhone to iSecurityRisk

Soon after launching iPhone, I remember Steve explaining why Apple did not put Flash or Java support into the wonder device. If I'm not mistaken, stability and security were the factors why the Cupertino company said no to these extremely widespread technologies.

iPhone is a really cool device but how secure is it? It turns out that iPhone is a huge security risk. FastCompany has made an experiment in collaboration with a security expert Rik Farrow and unfortunately Mr. Farrow was able to do "amazing" (to be short, the attacker can take a full control on the device by accessing messages, emails, even conversations and much more) things with the wonder device. If you are "lucky" owner of iPhone you may wish to at least turn off your WLAN functionality and watch this video.

How Many iPhones Can You Sell in China?

A lot. Frankly, I don't know. But I think it will be really a lot. Is it realistic that iPhone will be coming to China soon? Probably. At least that's what China Mobile CEO said today.

However, in my opinion it won't be that easy for Apple to make the already trusted business model get working in China (and in Asia generally). China Mobile's position puts this assumption even closer to reality. Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's CEO has stated that he doesn't like some of the new business models emerging in the mobile phone industry. Of course he has been implying the revenue sharing model between the handset manufacturers and the mobile operators in the first turn.

Apple plans to roll out iPhones in Asia next year and of course China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone operator with its 350 million customer base would be the best choice for the Cupertino-based company.

iPhone's European Debut - Day 1

Apple has made a fantastic European debut. UK's O2 is reporting 8,000 activations and Germany's T-Mobile is doing even better with 10,000 activations on the very first date. Not the same as on June 29th, however, European figures are still very good for the Cupertino company. For example, O2 was planning 3,000 activations on the first day.

You can read more detailed reports on ars technica both about O2 and about T-Mobile sales.

iPhone Changes Mobile Industry

iPhone is not only the next cool gadget but it's a device affecting the whole mobile industry. The effect the device has on the industry will be more visible in Europe. Let's bring a couple of examples.

The lack of 3G is a serious disadvantage in Europe. No 3G means that many Europeans will find iPhone's Internet access quite slow. But Apple would not have been Apple if the company did not know how to eliminate disadvantages. The company has already made agreements with hot spot providers in the U.K. and Germany. So, iPhone owners can use the speedy wireless Internet networks for free. Being able to use WiFi for free is even better than using 3G. Well done Steven.

Even with free WiFi access, there will be moments when consumers in Europe will have to resort to GPRS accees. However, Apple has done a great job in this respect as well. U.K. operator O2, which begins selling the iPhone today, has created its first unlimited data plan for iPhone owners. Now iPhone starts to be more and more impressive for European users.

To sum up, Apple is pursuing even more aggressive marketing campaign in Europe. This was expected because the competition it faces in Europe is tough. Will these actions make iPhone the best selling device in Europe? Frankly, I don't know. Selling 125 units per minute, which Apple enjoyed in the USA in the first 36 hours of iPhone availability, runs on a verge of miracle. But we'll soon witness if the Cupertino company makes a bis in year.

iPhone - The Wonder of the Year

You may like iPhone or you may hate it but let's agree that Steven has done a great job in the marketing department. With that level of marketing you would easily sell garbage and no wonder that this great gadget has been doing so well. It would not be an exaggeration mentioning that when the Time Magazine names a device the invention of the year, that's something.

Difficult not to agree. iPhone is pretty and easy to use. The touch thing is sooo cool, damn cool. If the first statement is subjective (I know people who find iPhone ugly) no arguing is necessary with the later. iPhone is more than a phone. It is a well thought out platform based on a desktop OS and finally, iPhone is not that expensive anymore.

What will be the iPhone's future? Difficult to predict. But iPhone has really deserved to be the gadget number one of the year. Yes, it's a wonder of the year.

Hard Work for Hackers - iPhone Firmware Update Is Coming

A new firmware update for the iPhone is expected to be released by this Friday. Apple will update the devices firmware to version 1.1.2 when the company starts selling the phone in the UK and Germany. It is expected that the firmware update will break recently released hacks.

Some of the enhancements in this update include support for additional language character sets and a fix in the TIFF image-rendering library, which is common for the Safari browser, the e-mail client and the iTunes.

Naturally, the 1.1.2 firmware update will be released via iTunes.

No Exclusivity is Possible in UAE

UAE is not the same as USA and Apple has quickly become convinced in this. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has said that it will not allow any company to establish an exclusive right to iPhone services with either of the two licensed telecoms operators in the UAE. Apple must say goodbye to its (well working so far) marketing strategy in UAE.

In plain English this means that UAE consumers may not be able to purchase the officially-released iPhone.

Unauthorised iPhones that have been unlocked by third party software have been on sale in the UAE, but Apple has said that it will not support these phones in any way. Software updates to the phone may even permanently disable the phone.

Open up, open up ... iPhone

Yes open up iPhone and not Nescafe. Finally, it is becoming reality. As Steve Jobs has announced, Apple will be providing SDK for iPhone in February. Why it takes so long is a valid question. However, better late than never.

It will be amazing to see third party applications pouring in for iPhone. Believe me, with all those wild developers out there, iPhone will do miracles shortly. However, this will heavily depend on Apple. I believe Apple has not finally decided which approach to take in creating a developer community. However, it is expected that Apple will enforce some sort of signature for developed applications. This is totally okay as long as it is not overcomplicated to acquire those digital signatures, thus scaring many developers. There should be a balance between easy of developing for iPhone and keeping iPhone protected from malware.

16GB iPhone to Debut on 16th of October?

An interesting post appeared on Macrumors forum yesterday. A user nicknamed Jimpo has posted photos of the new model.

The mysterious user, which is by the way newbie at the forum, claims that their store has already received the 16GB models.

The photos are of very low quality but they are the only available at the moment. However, it is visible that the info says available memory of 14.4 GB and the firmware version 1.1.2. Looks real :)

According to Jimpo, the model shall be officially announced on 16th of October.

iHazard: No Green Features in iPhone

A couple of months ago, Steve Jobs claimed that Apple would soon be ahead of most of its competitors on environmental issues.

Recently, Greenpeace has started examining iPhone in its Research Laboratories in the United Kingdom. Analysis reveal that the iPhone contains toxic brominated compounds and hazardous PVC.



The report, "Missed call: the iPhone's hazardous chemicals", which details the findings of the research, can be downloaded from the Greenpease website.

Not only has Apple forgotten people about disabilities when designing iPhone, but now it turns out that the device has environmental issues as well.

Apple is definitely behind the competition. For example, Nokia is totally PVC free, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have already products on the market with BFR free components.

Apple Launches iPhone Web Apps Directory

Yesterday Apple launched an online directory of more than 200 iPhone Web applications. The applications are organized in different categories (entertainment, games, productivity, etc). Also, it is possible to view popular applications, featured and staff picks.

It is a bit disappointing for developers not being able to develop native applications for iPhone, but Apple has its explanation for this. By not opening iPhone OS to the development world, Apple tries to keep iPhone more reliable and secure. This is a totally different approach that other Mobile Operating systems like Windows Mobile or Symbian have.

Jailbreack Your iPhone

The iPhoneSimFree team has finally managed to break through Apple's latest firmware in order to unlock the iPhone for use on other carriers.

The unlocking software, SimFree v1.6, is available through various resellers around the world. And there is good news for those who have already purchased the previous version of the hack. Previous iPhoneSimFree software owners won't have to pay for the upgrade.

Freeware unlocking software has quickly put commercial hacks almost out of the game. However, with the release of 1.1.1. iPhone firmware, the commercial hacks are still in the game and as expected iPhoneSIMFree was was the first team to release the hack.

I believe iPhone users are now more confident that one way or another, either commercial or freeware unlocking method will appear. So, no matter what Apple does, after a short delay, users can still enjoy using iPhone with a carrier of their choice.

Intel Moorestown for Mobile Internet Devices

Intel revealed a Moorestown-based Mobile Internet Device (MID) product at the recent Intel Developer Forum (IDF) San Francisco. In terms of functionality, Intel's MID platform is similar to Apple's iPhone. The Moorestown platform is expected to launch in 2009. According to rumours, Apple is considering developing an iPhone based on it.

Unbrick My Heart

Have you fell in love with you iPhone? I bet you have. Was your heart bricked after updating the firmware to 1.1.1.? Positive again. Don't worry. The help is on the way to unbrick your heart.

But the news is not as good as you might be expecting. The hack does really unbrick your iPhone and get the 3rd party application back in game, however, unlocked phones still can't call.

Basically, the process of unbricking your iPhone is to downgrade the firmware from version 1.1.1 to 1.0.2. Well, if you have ever had PSP then you might know this process. The same has started for iPhone.

Detailed instructions and video can be seen on Gizmodo.

I believe hackers are working hard to get dialing function back as well. After all iPhone is a phone, isn't it?

Bluetooth - The Weakest Link

Security researchers attention goes to the Bluetooth bug in iPhone. On Friday, Symantec's DeepSight threat network team pointed out the vulnerability in an advisory to customers.

According to the security team, the Bluetooth flaw occurs when malicious SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) packets are handled. Thus, any attacker within Bluetooth range can exploit the vulnerability remotely and execute arbitrary code on the device.

In order to exploit the iPhone Bluetooth vulnerability, the Bluetooth MAC must be known. However, with iPhone this is extremely easy. The iPhone Bluetooth MAC address is always one less than the Wi-Fi interface's MAC address. So, a standard WiFi sniffer does the job here.

According to Apple's security advisory, the Bluetooth vulnerability was discovered and reported by Kevin Mahaffey and John Hering of Flexillis Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in mobile security development and consulting.

Most people do not consider Bluetooth vulnerabilities seriously. This can be attributed to the belief that Bluetooth is not a long-range wireless technology. However, possible working range of Bluetooth is far longer than most people believe. With specialized antennas it is possible to achieve 200-300 meters, sometimes even more.

Come on, Brick My iPhone

Apple has just released promised firmware update 1.1.1. and the company has also kept the promise about fighting hacked iPhones. Indeed, the update bricks the phone in many cases. If you are lucky enough and your wonder device survives, you have good chance of losing your photos, music and contacts. Unfortunately, even those who have not hacked their devices experienced this. Apart from this, after you update the firmware, the phone gets relocked and third-party applications stop functioning. Other anomalies are possible as well. This is just a matter of time.

So what? I think Apple has overdone the job of fighting unlockers. I don't think it will take long until unlockers release unlock-my-iPhone-1.1.1. It's up to you whether to wait or not. If we take into account that there are no revolutionary features in the 1.1.1. update, maintaining status quo can be the most reasonable choice for unlocked iPhone owners.

iPhone Hacks Void Warranty, But Who's Scared?

On Monday Apple warned that iPhone hacks void the warranty. Moreover, the company said that the phone would stop functioning after the next software update is applied. As Apple has explained unlocking programs "cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software".

Sorry Steve, but this is a complete b*** s*** and I believe this statement has a sole purpose to frighten those iPhone users who have no clue about how phones, software or computers work.

Even if you are unfortunate enough to brick your iPhone, it can be recovered relatively easy. Moreover, the percentage of known facts of iPhones becoming bricked after applying the hacks is quite low.

To be frank, I expected more "serious" efforts from Apple to fight unauthorised use of the device. Of course, this will scare some users but not enough to eliminate hacking.

Has Apple Forgotten People With Disabilities?

Well, it seems so. At least, Apple has forgotten that there people with ear disabilities out there. When iPhone is held up to a cochlear implant and or a hearing aid it gives out a loud buzzing interference.

Due to this problem, a group representing people with a hearing loss filed complaints with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission last month. The group is accusing Apple Inc. of not making its iPhone compatible with hearing aids.

This complaint may turn pretty expensive for Apple. Results may vary from paying refunds to customers with disabilities to redesigning the device altogether. However, according to documents posted on the FCC's Web site, Apple may not be required to make changes to the iPhone. "Handset manufacturers that offer two or fewer digital wireless handsets in the U.S. need not comply with the hearing aid compatibility compliance obligations," the FCC states.

Photo source: BusinessWeek.com

This article has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

iPhone's Euroinvasion

iPhone's invasion in Europe continues. Soon after a simultaneous debut in the UK and Germany on 9th of November, iPhone will be launched in France at the end of November.


France Telecom's Orange is Apple's "chosen" in France. Analysts speculate that Apple has demanded a 20-30 percent share of service and voice revenues generated by iPhones in return for exclusive sales deals with telecoms operators. (I will talk more about Apple's strategy, which I think is one of the best devised by anyone in business. So stay tuned and check the blog frequently).

It is not clear at the moment what iPhone's price will be in France. However, it is safe to expect it to be in a 269 - 279 euro range, pretty much the same as it costs in Germany and the UK.

It's indeed ineteresting to see how iPhone will do in Europe. It has become the most successful and top selling smartphones in the USA. Will it make the same miracle in Europe?

iPhone's Double Hit: UK + Germany

Apple will have a double launch on the 9th of November, 2007. It has become known that iPhone will be launched in Germany on the same day as it will be launched in the UK. Apple (as expected) has teamed with T-Mobile.

Germans will have to pay about $553 for owning the device. The price includes sales tax and a two-year service. iPhone can be purchased through Deutsche Telekom stores, and through the T-Mobile online store.

Most likely the next target will be France. Orange is widely expected to be Apple's chosen in France.

Time to Fight iPhone Unlocking Hacks?

Finally, for the first time Apple has officially said that the company would fight attempts to use the popular device on unauthorized networks. Aren't you a bit late Steve? What have you been doing until today? Oh, I beg my pardon. The company was busy "dating" potential hubbies in Europe. Pretty good excuse. So, now after the iPhone is a couple of days far from hitting the shelves in the UK, Apple started to think about fighting illegal hacks. But time has played for Apple this time as well. I can imagine thousands of people who have bought the device in hopes to use iPhone with carriers of their choice. It's now possible to get the unlock hack for free, but what about those who have paid $50 and $99 for the commercial hacking software?

I am confident, announcing that the company would take legal actions against the unlockers at this stage is a part of a marketing campaign as well. Though, on the other hand it was expected that sooner or later Apple would start doing so. But the question is how effective the company will be in this endeavour.

Welcome to UK iPhone

"We dated a few people who we didn't get married to, so there are a few unhappy girlfriends out there." said Steve Jobs revealing Apple's iPhone partner in the UK.

I've always been amazed with Jobs' showmanship. He always does something that nobody else can. The show must go on indeed but what is really happening behind the curtains?

First off, the price of the device, £269, is by no means cheap. Additionally, the iPhone users in UK will have to sign up for an 18-month contract, at a minimum price of £35 a month, giving us a £900 for owning the mircale device.

Competition is already there. Nokia N95 is alredy a better choice. But iPhone has something that no other device does. It is usability and the very features that make it iPhone.

However, it is viable to assume that by the holiday season, offers from other companies will become more tempting and lucrative and many customers will look at alternative offerings. Will iPhone win Britons' hearts? We'll have to wait and see.

Third iPhone Update is Already on the Horizon

iPhone unlockers may shortly have to start all over again. Apples is about to release the third firmware update to the phone. Will the unlock survive firmware upgrade? Most likely not. The update shall address stability issues and extend the device with new features as well. Particularly, this shall include functionality to access just announced Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store, which will allow iPhone users to browse, purchase and download media from the iTunes Store with a WLAN connection.

anySIM Gets a GUI - Well Done iPhone Dev Team

It looks like that iPhone Dev Team is working hard on their free iPhone unlocking hack. If the initial release required quite a hassle and command-line wizardry, now the free unlock software can be used by non-geeks as well. Simply, the team has released a GUI to the unlocking hack which makes unlocking your iPhone unbelievably easy.

So, if you want to use your iPhone with ANY mobile operator, don't want to pay $50 or $99 for the unlock software and don't want to mess around the command-line tools, simply download the anySIM and enjoy your unlocked iPhone.

Who Wins iPhone EU Rights?

According to Financial Times Deutschland, Deutche Telekom (T-Mobile), France Telecom (France's Orange), and Britain's 02 (Telefonica) had snapped up commercial exclusivity of the iPhone in their respective countries. But who will win the rights?

Yesterday journalists received invitations from Apple with a mysterious "Mum is no longer the word." line. Does this mean that Apple will reveal its European iPhone partner soon? There is an intense speculation both by telephone companies and the media that the conference will reveal the secret.

3G iPhones Are on the Horizon

Wireless chip and DSP sector analyst Will Strauss of Forward Concepts claims that 3G enabled iPhone is already on the horizon.

An announcement from Apple is expected anytime, even during this week. Apple may announce the Wideband-CDMA 3G capable version of the phone as well when it finally reveals which operators it has chosen for the European launch of the handset. Though, Strauss is uncertain whether the iPhone's 3G baseband chip would also include the higher-speed HSDPA capability.

Will Apple make the same "thunder" in Europe that the company has made in the USA? Difficult to say. However, it is very likely and expected. At least Vodafone expects so. As a counter measure, on 10th of September, Vodafone launched an unlimited music download service MusicStation. Hurry up Apple, hurry up or iPhone's music magic may get deluted in Europe in the shade of MusicStation. The latter has a library of over 1 million tracks from the major music publishers.

Source: EETimes.com

iPhone Gets Closer to MovableType

MovableType users will be able to use iPhone for mobile blogging. Six Apart announced an open-source plug-in for its Movable Type 4.0 blog on Monday.

The iMT plug-in installs an alternate template that is specifically tailored to iPhone's screen. The plug-in works over AT&T Wireless' Edge network and over the Wi-Fi as well.

Tap-based interface and custom integration with built-in iPhone functionality makes the iMT plug-in a perfect choice for MovableType's iPhone equipped users.

So, iPhone users have one more reason to use MovableType and the MovableType users have one more reason to buy iPhone.

Fully Unlocked 8GB iPhone Arrives on the Celluloco.com Shelves

Now anyone can purchase fully unlocked 8GB iPhone with a single click of a mouse. As Celluloco.com claims, the device is unlocked for any GSM operator in the world. Moreover, Celluloco.com ships phones to almost every part of the world. Sounds tempting? No doubt. But wait, I've got some bad news for you.

Bad news number one is that the price is quite high. Yes, it's almost $1,300 without shipping fees. Did you expect anything else? Maybe uncle Steve's $500 iPhone offer sounds more attractive now? Well decide yourself what is important for you. Spend additional $800 or join the overnight campers at the AT&T stores waiting to sign freaking contracts?

Bad news number two is that Celluloco.com disclaimer applies, which says:

This i-Phone has been unlocked for use in any GSM provider in the world. Please note that we can only guarantee the unlocking for as long as you don't upgrade your version of firmware from Apple. Apple will re-lock the mobile when you upload upgrades to your i-Phone and Celluloco.com will not be responsible for the re-unlocking of your device.

This means that, well you know what this means. As soon as you will need to upgrade the firmware, your iPhone will stop working and will become just an iPod :)

Bad News For Commercial iPhone Unlockers - iUnlock Works

There's bad news for resellers of commercial iPhone unlock software. The iPhone Dev Team has released a free hack to unlock iPhone.

Both Gizmodo and Engadget posted the news on Tuesday evening confirming that the hack worked!

At the moment, the hack is not a one-click solution though. Rather it requires you to download a few things and do some command-line level work. This should not be a problem for an average computer user. However, compared to the commercial hacks, it has a big advantage. It's free and is available immediately. The team is working on the graphical version of the tool. This should allow less experienced users to take advantage of the free unlock software.

This news will make many iPhone users happy. After all, it is now possible to use the gadget with any cell phone operator at no additional cost.

Photo source: Engadget

Preorder Your iPhone Unlock Software

iPhone unlocking software becomes commercial and goes on sale. Several resellers have already started accepting preorders.

iPhoneSIMFree's unlock software hack can be purchased for $99. An Australian Web site, iPhone Worldwide Unlock, listed the hack for $50. A German reseller has the same $50 price tag.

The price of the software is not cheap but it looks like the resellers have already accepted thousands of preorders. Though, none of the resellers provide any guarantees that the hack will survive a firmware upgrade from Apple.

Will Apple re-lock the device in a future update is not known. Neither has the company made any comments on possible legal actions against the resellers.

But where can I buy the software? Glad you asked. Follow the links below:

Online shops:

AUSTRALIA: iPhoneWorldwideUnlock and AussieIphoneUnlockClick

GERMANY: 1digitalphoneClick

UNITED KINGDOM: Iphoneunlocked

SAUDI ARABIA: iphonat.com

USA: Wireless Imports

iPhone is Already in 1 Million Pockets

There are iPhones in 1 million pockets 74 days after the launch of the device. At least this is what has been announced by Apple. Not a bad result if we recall that it took two years to reach the same mark with iPod, which is an extremely popular product itself.

At a glance everything is fine with iPhone. The device (the 8 GB model) has become $200 cheaper; the 4 GB model is already out of production and the 16 GB model can be seen on the horizon. Apple is ready for the upcoming holiday season, though there will be no 3G enabled iPhone this year.

iPhone - Number One Enemy of Your Wallet

iPhone's international plan for data services in 29 countries (most of them are European countries) costs $24.99 for 20 megabytes. In countries outside the plan charges can hit a $20 per megabyte mark. iPhone has a "neat" feature, which regularly updates e-mail, even when the phone is off and this can translate into pretty solid amounts.

At least, this is what happened to Jay Levy and his family by using iPhone during their Mediterranean cruise. Their three iPhones generated a whopping $4,800 bill.

But the Levys are not alone. A 68 year old real estate agent from Bronx, Herbert Kliegerman said he incurred $2,000 while visiting Mexico. Kliegerman filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status in New York State Supreme Court last week. Simple, Apple did not properly disclose the international roaming charges. Kliegerman was offered a $1,5000 refund from AT&T Wireless but the real estate agent is seeking a full refund.

Interestingly, the 6,707-word terms and conditions document on the AT&T Web site says: "Substantial charges may be incurred if phone is taken out of the U.S. even if no services are intentionally used.". Wow, Kliegerman's chances are pretty slim of winning the case.

It seems to me that iPhone's honeymoon is over and the device has started facing difficulties of the real-world. Will iPhone survive or will Apple experience the same fiasco as the company did with personal computers? That is the question.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

No More Free Ringtones on iPhone

In one of previous posts I talked about a possibility of using custom ringtones on iPhone. The loophole was found by a MacRumors forum user. By following the method described by the user, it was possible to sync custom ringtones to your iPhone for free.

Apple was very quick to fix this problem in the iTunes 7.4. Within 24 hours of releasing iTunes 7.4, users were alerted to the availability of iTunes 7.4.1, which of course does not allow using free ring tones. Thus, if you have iTunes 7.4 on your computer, you may refrain from updating to 7.4.1. Decide yourself what you need. The "latest" version of the software or ability to use free ring tones.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

iPhone as a Business Adventure

Here we have another surprise from Apple. On Wednesday, Steve Jobs announced that the company was cutting the price of the 8GB model by 33%, which makes a whopping $200. Thus, Apple's miracle device 10 weeks after its launch costs only $399.

Customers are angry and so are company's investors. How can this move be explained? The first idea that comes to mind is that Apple is not able to meet the forecasts and has taken more aggressive marketing action.

However, I see a different picture here. I strongly believe that in business succeed not the best products but those products which are accompanied by the the biggest buzz and hype. In our complicated world, marketing is something almost a mystical thing. Little marketing details can make dramatic difference. Let's notice a couple of things.

Have you noticed how many blogs, websites and shows are devoted to iPhone? I can't remember any other product with such a huge buzz as Apple's iPhone. I must say that Steve Jobs did the most marvelous job in this respect.

The deal was made with AT&T only. Boom, the phone is locked for any other carrier. Want an iPhone? You are welcome to grab one, come and subscribe to AT&T. Want to use the device with other carriers? No problem, do some hardware tweaking and the phone is unlocked. Don't want to deal with soldering? Oh, there are already at least a couple of different alternatives to unlock the phone at the software level. Had it be possible to use the phone with other carriers, that lucky guy would not have got a brand new car for his unlocking software and gazillion of bloggers would not have been able to write nice posts about this fact. How many blog posts, news articles and rumour has arisen about unlocking iPhone? Countless!!!

The phone doesn't have support for Java. Is it good or bad? After all Java game development industry is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry. But let's sacrifice ability to use Java software on iPhone to the hype and buzzword and as a side effect to stability of the device.

No, no and again no. We are still not able to sell as many iPhones as we would love to. What do we do next? Yes sure, let's cut the price by $200. Wait, you can buy many different cell phones under $200 and this guy is reducing the price by $200. What about those people who have paid original price? Good news for them, if they have not opened the phone they can take advantage of the Apple's refund policy.

But how did the investors react? They did exactly as expected. Apple's share prices dropped by more than 5% just overnight. That's bad but the action (price cut) leads the company to even more aggressive marketing campaign. At the same moment Apple introduces an array of new digital products.

All in all, I see that Apple is playing a risky but well thought out marketing game. Where will it lead? Oh, we only have to wait and see.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

Say Goodbye to Hacking iPhone Ring Tones: Meet iToner

iPhone users no longer need to hack the phone to use custom ring tones. To put custom ring tones on your device you can use a cool little utility called iToner from Ambrossia Software, Inc.

With iToner, a $15 utility, the process requires only dragging and dropping audio files onto the single-window interface and then hitting the Sync button. You don't even need to restart the phone to use the ring tones. Moreover, as the developer claims, the ring tones will be available even after a firmware update is applied to the phone.

iToner requires Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later. A 30-day trial period is available.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

iPhone Unlocking Software - Myth or Reality?

Creating a cool device like iPhone is of course a great thing. However, urging users to use services of a particular company is not nice. While there is nothing illegal with Apple's choice of AT&T, I believe it is not ethical. Customers must have a freedom to use the device with any of the carrier of their choice. Hence, it is not a surprise that the race to unlock iPhone began from the very first day the device was launched.

While it is already possible to unlock iPhone at a hardware level, no software existed until now to unlock the miracle device. As a matter of fact such software might not exist even now but at least two different videos that have hit the web recently show that there is a software that can unlock iPhone.

In the six-minute video posted on the iphoneunlocking.com blog, John McLaughlin, founder of Uniquephones demonstrates unlocking an iPhone with a software from his company.

A company called iPhoneSimFree.com also claims to have the first software-only unlocking method. Moreover, iPhoneSimFree.com was the first to show it to a credible third party, an editor of Engadget.com.

John McLaughlin has not posted the method on iphoneunlocking.com though. A phone call from an AT&T Wireless representative was more than enough to keep him from doing so. John McLaughlin could earn a fortune by selling the software but even if makes no cent on it, the software will spread quickly throughout the web. That's why I don't believe in artificial restrictions. People will always find workarounds.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

The Latest iPone News

What makes iPhone different from other gadgets (kill me but I can't call iPhone a cell phone, it's really more than just the next cell phone) is that like the iPod, it can be easily updated by Apple with new features and bug fixes. Every time you plug your iPhone into your computer, updates, if there are any, are automatically downloaded into the phone. So, Apple was quick enough to issue the first update. Not only did the update fix a number of issues, but added some minor but interesting new features to the phone. You can find more details about the new features at Walt Mossboerg's blog.

Do you love your iPhone? I bet you do, who doesn't? Do you have a story to share about it? I bet you do, you must have one. That is why Apple has setup a special page where you can share your story about your iPhone experience with the rest of the world.

While you are enjoying your miracle gadget, some folks "work" hard to unlock iPhone. It looks like they are one step closer to their aim. Unlocking iPhone is inevitable, it is just a matter of time. Apple and AT&T may of course introduce additional security measures but the iPhone Dev Team will be a step ahead. Why should not you be able to use iPhone with other carriers? Do you have an answer? Dare to share it with us? Very good. Post them in the comments.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

Google Phone: Myth or Reality?

Recently the Wall Street Journal has reported that Google was showing a prototype mobile phone to cell phone manufacturers and cellular service providers.

The search engine giant's entering in the mobile communication's market won't be extremely unexpected. After all, we have a precedent of Apple introducing iPhone.

At the moment the information about the "Google Phone" is just a rumor. But some rumors are quite in a range of possibility and frequently materialize. If this is the case with "Google Phone", we may see in a couple of months.

Personally I do not see a reason why Google could not produce a high class mobile phone. If Apple succeeded in it, why Google should not? Moreover, if we take into account the innovative and sometimes rather wild ideas coming out of the Google Labs, the Google's cell phone may really become an iPhone killer.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

Old Code Problems in a New iPhone

Charlie Miller of Independent Security Evaluators was the first person to crack Apple's much hyped iPhone. The vulnerability was found in an old, buggy part of the Safari browser, in the old Perl Regular Expression Library (PRCE) in Webkit. The regular Mac OS X Safari as well as the Windows beta version of the browser were also at risk.

I have been using the Windows beta since its release. While I had noticed a number of bugs, I could not assume the software had such a severe problem. So if you use the Safari browser - whether on a Mac, PC, or iPhone - be sure you update it with Apple's just-released patches.

This incident with iPhone once again makes me think that in computers there is no such a thing as absolute security. All systems are vulnerable and all systems have bugs. However, it is important that the developer quickly reacts to eliminate security problems (Apple was very quick indeed).

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

Leaflets - Mobile Web 2.0 Application Portal for iPhone

As expected, Web 2.0 applications for iPhone have started to emerge rapidly. Leaflets, a new mobile portal providing free Web 2.0 applications optimized for modern "Mobile 2.0" phones and handheld devices, beginning with Apple's iPhone.

Leaflets are small, mobile web-based applications you access from Safari on your iPhone. And since Leaflets are designed to run fast over AT&T's EDGE network, you can use them anywhere: no wi-fi required.

The portal already provides a number of cool and interesting applications (or how the developers call them Leaflets). For example, the Search Leaflet allows you to search Google, Yahoo, MSN and Wikpedia. The Feeds Leaflet gives you an opportunity to catch up with your favorite RSS and Atom feeds on the go. With the del.icio.us Leaflet you can access your del.icio.us bookmarks and browse the most popular sites. And the Flickr Leaflet saves your precious iPhone memory and allows you to view Flickr photos faster. There is more already and even more to come in the future. So if you are a lucky owner of iPhone, check out Leaflets right away and enjoy your mobile friend.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

More iPhone When You iPling

"Our innovative approach, using Web 2.0-based standards, lets developers create amazing new applications while keeping the iPhone secure and reliable." says Steve Jobs.

That's true, soooo true. Past couple of weeks many iPhone targeted web 2.0 applications emerged. It's sad that quantity is not always a key factor. To me quality over quantity is more important. But there is one cool web 2.0 application for iPhone. It's called iPling. Not sure who invented that word but as the creators define iPling is the act of opening up by sharing my thoughts with other iPling users, so they know the things I like and the mood I'm in.

In other words, iPling is a location based social expansion service. You can use iPling to search for those whose share your musical tastes, hobbies, likes and dislikes, etc. I'd say that iPling seamlessly integrates into your life (huh, what a phrase). You want to be discoverable, right? So you just create your quick profiles or as the creators of iPling call them "iPling circles". Basically, the profiles describe what you are looking for. Done with that? So good. Now you can start discovering new peopl and be discovered by others.

A good thing about iPling that it is anonymous. In other words, when you enter an iPling relationship you do not reveal much about yourself, well except the common interests that you and the other iPlinger have.

Don't want any more missed encounters? With iPling you won't miss the next opportunity. Join and enjoy!

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

iChat for iPhone - iPhone Web 2.0 Applications Are Taking Off

iChat is one of the first Web 2.0 applications for iPhone. iChat is a chat application that allows you to log in to your AOL IM account.

iChat is a new application and as expected there are some limitations and known issues. It doesn't support groups, buddy icons and more than four simultaneous conversations. Another issue (which has quite surprised me) is that it works in Firefox and Safari but not in the Internet Explorer.

The only drawback of iChat is that the user data passes through the developer server. While the developer claims that no data is harvested, still it’s of a bit concern to provide your account details.

All in all, this is one of the earliest iPhone Web 2.0 applications and I believe we'll see many others as well.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

Web 2.0 Coming to the Mobile World

Web 2.0 applications running in our browsers is not a new story, however Web 2.0 apps in a mobile phone is definitely something new. Apple announced that their iPhone will be Web 2.0 enabled. Moreover, the company claims that the Web 2.0 applications created for iPhone will look and behave like built-in applications. Further, the Web 2.0 applications created for iPhone will have access to iPhone's internal services and all this will come at no cost of compromising the phone's reliability or security.

Think for a minute about all advantages that web applications have and now think about having the power of Web 2.0 apps in a mobile phone. Apple is offering something really innovative. We can safely assume that the only limit of iPhone applications will be the fantasy of a developer.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

iPHONE 049 by FOCOS HK

iPHONE 048 by LUCA MORANDI