Thursday, December 27, 2007

Apple iPhone vs Nokia N95 8GB: With State-of-the-Art Technologies

The new Nokia N95 8GB is generating a lot of curiosity among the mobile users. The amazing features make it a handset par excellence. The handset comes bundled with an array of high-end features that make it a brilliant device. As far as imaging is concerned, the handset offers brilliant image clarity. This two-way slider opening phone is equipped with a 5 megapixel camera, a highly advanced GPS navigation system, integrated music player, visual radio and FM radio. The handset supports a colossal memory of 8 GB. Also, it can store upto 6000 songs in its memory. Connectivity features include USB, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and WLAN Wi-Fi. This smartphone comes with an impressive array of multimedia features supported by 8GB of internal memory. This multimedia powerhouse fulfills all your desires with its superior capabilities. Weighing just 120g, the handset is a real charmer with its looks and functionality.

On the other hand the Apple iPhone is an aesthetically advanced device that comes with a 3.5 inch touch screen, a built-in 2.0 megapixel camera and lots more. The Apple iPhone supports an enhanced battery that allows you to use the iPhone for 5 hours of talk time. This is a superb communications solution as it is not just a phone; it is a music player, internet device, video player and camera all in one. This smartphone come with awesome memory capacity. They are available with memory size of 4GB and 8GB and work both as a phone as well as an iPod. The Bluetooth wireless technology feature helps you to connect the device with compatible devices and transfer pictures, music, etc.

Both Apple iPhone and Nokia N95 8GB deals are available on all the major portals and online shops. Browse through the amazing offers and deals available online and select the one that suits you the best.
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Cell Phone Directory

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

iPhone malware attacks set to go big in 2008?

Security researchers are warning that the iPhone may generate a new cybercrime wave, becoming "a primary target for hackers in 2008."

Arbor Networks believes the iPhone will become a major target, subject to a "serious attack" in 2008.

The researchers predict drive-by attacks in which malware is embedded into seemingly innocuous data or images designed to attack iPhone via its web browser.

It looks like Apple's battle with iPhone unlockers may generate interest in attacks on the device. Responding to that war, hackers "will be enticed by the possibility of attacking Apple users and the opportunity to 'be the first' to hack a new platform," the researchers said.

The security firm also warns of a rise in 'Chinese on Chinese' cybercrime in the year ahead, noting a dramatic increase in attacks on Chinese language-specific software.

This reflects fast-paced increases in Chinese computer users and increasing organization among China's cybercriminals.

"2007 was the year of the browser exploit, the data breach, spyware and the storm worm. We expect 2008 to be the year of the iPhone attack, the Chinese Hacker, P2P network spammers and the hijacking of the Storm botnet," Arbor Networks said.

"Online fraud is soaring and security attacks are now being used in countless and ever more sophisticated ways to both steal and launder money. Financial and other confidential data is being obtained, sold and utilized in the highly developed black market. In 2008 this market will continue to grow and it is important that business implement the processes and technology necessary to protect themselves and their customers."
source: computerworld.com
Cell Phone Reviews

Sunday, December 2, 2007

iPhone SMS Management Utility: Syphone Beta

Micromat has a utility called Syphone which is a freeware Mac application that lets you view, save and backup your SMS messages.

The iPhone has a limit on the number of SMS messages it can store at one time. If this limit is exceeded, existing conversations must be deleted in order to make room for new messages. Syphone allows you to view and/or save any of these conversations, including deleted messages.

A beta is presently available for download. Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or greater
source: macrumors.com
Cell Phone Reviews

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Life without an iPhone

By JAMES WARDEN, News-Record Writer

“Touching is believing.”

Thus sayeth Apple about its iPhone.

Unfortunately, local residents won’t know for some time whether the company’s newest offering deserves their faith because they can’t touch it here in Gillette.

The iPhone is hardly alone in its absence from the area. Wyoming is large and sparsely populated, and that can delay the arrival of the latest goods and services.

The holiday shopping season that started Friday tests the tech-savvy on a particularly biblical scale, as omnipresent catalogs and out-of-state commercials tease geeks with the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

But while those sexy Apple ads can make it hard to believe in life without an iPhone, the Christmas shopping season need not spark a crisis of faith: Some of the latest goods are already here, others are just around the corner and many have viable alternatives.

MORE MAJOR WIRELESS PROVIDERS

- What it is: An expansion from the duopoly that Verizon and Alltel now effectively have in Campbell County.

- Why you want it: One word: iPhone. Until manufacturers start making phones that can jump between wireless providers, local residents will be stuck staring wistfully at ads for sleek phones not available in Campbell County. Even if all phones were made to work seamlessly between rival providers, manufacturers could still choose to limit the hottest phones to a single provider — as Apple and AT&T did with the iPhone. Quite simply, the more providers offering local service, the more access Gillette residents have to the best-selling phones.

- Cost: Comparable to the cell phone service you’re paying for now — just with a different logo on the back of that shiny touch-screen you’ve been eyeing.

- Who’s got it now: Areas with a lot of people in a limited space tend to have the most wireless carriers.

- What’s holding Gillette back: Not enough people, said Roger Entner, a telecom expert and senior vice president of communications at New York-based IAG Research. Carriers are barred from selling service in an area where they don’t have towers, but towers are expensive. To make a profit, companies need about 1,000 subscribers for every wireless tower they put up. Most cities need a few towers. So even when existing companies have just 60 percent market penetration, it can be a risky proposition for a new company to move in on their turf. The arithmetic is so straightforward that Entner accurately guessed the number of major carriers as soon as he learned Gillette’s population.

- Prospects: The signal’s pretty clear that Gillette will be stuck with two major carriers for the foreseeable future.

- Alternatives: Options are limited for carriers, but manufacturers have announced a plethora of touch-screen, multimedia phones similar to the iPhone for virtually all carriers. Verizon’s Voyager, which has already debuted, bears a particular resemblance to the iPhone and has been getting good reviews.

FIBER TO THE PREMISES (FTTP)

- What it is: Fiber-optic connections right into the home. While the telecommunications system is largely fiber optic now, most homes have slower copper wires running the last few blocks to the home.

- Why you want it: Better TV picture quality, clearer phone services and faster Internet. FiOS, Verizon’s FTTP service, now offers speeds up to 10 times that of a typical cable modem connection, and the company has tested speeds twice that rate, said Sharon Cohen-Hagar, a spokeswoman for the company.

- Cost: Verizon has plans that include TV, phone and Internet for about $100 a month. Internet-only plans range from $40 to $180 a month, depending on the speed.

- Who’s got it now: Verizon, the largest FTTP provider, offers its FiOS service in parts of the northeast, Texas, Florida and California. As of September, more than 2 million homes in North America have direct fiber connections, according to the Fiber to the Home Council, an organization that promotes the technology. The overwhelming majority of those homes are in the United States.

- What’s holding Gillette back: Prohibitive start-up costs. Access to FTTP requires laying new fiber-optic wires, said Stephen Hardy, editorial director of Lightwave, a magazine for the fiber-optic industry. That is much more costly than hooking up cable or reworking a copper-wire network to allow speedier DSL service. Fiber-optic cable often simply isn’t laid unless a project already requires digging up streets or stringing wire. Consequently, the service is still very much a niche product; just 2 percent of U.S. households have direct fiber connections.

- Prospects: “Unlikely at any time in the foreseeable future,” Cohen-Hagar said. Verizon has no plans to expand FiOS beyond the company’s old network — which doesn’t run into Wyoming. There are some signs of hope. Fiber optic networks are cheaper to maintain than traditional copper-wire networks, Hardy said. Verizon’s market muscle could also whittle down vendors’ costs and make the technology more attractive to smaller companies. Yet he estimates that it will be about a decade before companies switch over to fiber entirely.

- Alternatives: Cable Internet and DSL. While these high-speed connections are already starting to seem commonplace, nearly half of American households have no Internet or just a dial-up connection.

APPLE RETAIL STORES

- What it is: A traditional brick-and-mortar store stocked with Apple products and run by the company itself.

- Why you want it: Forget waiting precious days for that crucial iPod accessory to arrive by mail. Just drop into the store, pick up the item and get back to enjoying tunes the way you like ‘em. Add in personal shopping assistance, seminars and a one-on-one training, and you have the techie equivalent of a Sunset Boulevard fashion boutique.

- Cost: Depends on what you’re looking for. Many accessories cost about $30, while the latest Mac or MacBook Pro can run well into the thousands.

- Who’s got it now: Apple has more than 200 stores worldwide, but Gillette residents must drive 335 miles to Boulder, Colo., or Broomfield, Colo., to shop at one. The company doesn’t have a single store in Wyoming, and it has just six in Colorado and Utah, Wyoming’s only neighbors with an Apple retailer.

- What’s holding Gillette back: An Apple spokeswoman said the company generally doesn’t talk about the types of markets in which it likes to establish retail stores. But the list of the current stores shows that Apple stores center on densely populated metropolitan areas. Colorado, a state with 4.8 million people, has just five stores. Utah has only one store for its 2.6 million people. Wyoming, a state with a mere 500,000 people, is hardly the only state without a store. When the tech hubs of California, Oregon and Washington are discounted, almost half the states west of the Mississippi lack an Apple retail store.

- Prospects: Chances are slimmer than the newest iPod Nano.

- Alternatives: Those intent on Apple-branded products can log on to the online store at http://store.apple.com. But Apple products have become so pervasive that traditional retailers offer most types of third-party accessories.

CITYWIDE WIRELESS INTERNET

- What it is: Internet service that can be picked up anywhere in town.

- Why you want it: To access the Internet wherever you go. Sure, coffee shops and other businesses provide similar service. But you don’t have to scrape together enough change for a cup of coffee or — let’s be honest — stand outside the business like a panhandler while you check your e-mail for free.

- Cost: Generally free or low-cost.

- Who’s got it now: A diverse group of cities. Smaller communities have used taxpayer money to set up free, public Wi-Fi networks in areas not served by private Internet service providers. Metropolitan areas, on the other hand, have tended to work with privately funded companies to provide for-pay service, although this is often subsidized to reduce costs for low-income residents.

- What’s holding Gillette back: Priorities. The city has been working for the past two years to build a wireless network, said city Administrative Services Director Pam Boger, who heads the committee that is exploring the issue. Yet the goal of this network is to allow city employees to provide more efficient service, not to offer free Internet access to residents. Police officers, for example, could receive details about a suspect in their patrol cars or city utilities could access information on a resident’s water use without needing to send a meter reader by the home. The committee plans to present further details about the project to the City Council in January.

- Prospects: “At this point, we’re not looking at something accessible for the public,” Boger said. “Maybe some day, but that is not our top priority.”

- Alternatives: Coffee shops have been the traditional domain of wireless Internet, but even some fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s have it now.

LOCAL TV STATIONS

- What it is: Local TV

- Why you want it: To make sure you’re able to find out the results of that Camel game or City Council debate when you flip on the 5 o’clock news.

- Cost: Free to the consumer.

- Who’s got it now: Cities of all sizes across the country have local TV stations, but the Wyoming Broadcasters Association lists just three cities with major, for-profit TV stations: Jackson, Cheyenne and Casper, which has two stations.

- What’s holding Gillette back: Money, said Bill Sullivan, a TV representative for the Broadcasters Association and general manager of KCWY-TV in the Casper area. Starting up a station is expensive, and advertising revenues are hard to come by. Sullivan has a $500,000 budget for his news operation alone. Regulations make it hard even to air Wyoming channels broadcast from outside Gillette because the city is in Denver’s “designated market area.” Thus, KCWY, an NBC affiliate, can’t bring service to Gillette without slashing all the programming it has in common with the Colorado NBC station that already has a channel here. “Of course, no one wants to run a quarter of a network.”

- Prospects: Not a pretty picture. “Wyoming isn’t an area that’s known for making money in the broadcast business,” Sullivan said.

- Alternatives: Gillette Public Access TV offers coverage of some local sporting events, including high school football and dirt track racing. Beyond that, out-of-state TV stations are the rule.

WIRELESS BROADBAND

- What it is: A way for mobile phones to access the Internet at speeds comparable to speedy in-home cable Internet.

- Why you want it: The iPhone has given mobile phone users a vision of surfing the Web with a fully functioning browser. But if you don’t have high-speed access, forget about it. You wouldn’t watch your favorite YouTube videos with dial-up, would you? Wireless companies also offer specialized content — such as TV shows, music downloads and GPS directions — through their own broadband-based services, as with Verizon’s V-Cast and Alltel’s Axcess.

- Cost: Providers generally require customers to subscribe to one of the company’s premium plans, which usually start at $20 to $30 more than a traditional plan. Packages with access just to the specialized content can usually be added onto a plan for between $15 and $20.

- Who’s got it now: Coverage is comparable to mobile phone coverage a few years ago: It’s not everywhere, but it’s fast becoming ubiquitous. Densely populated areas and major thoroughfares are most likely to have coverage.

- What’s holding Gillette back: Nada. Gillette fits squarely into the evolutionary roll-out of these products.

- Prospects: Just got up and running. In October, Verizon and Alltel both launched their EV-DO service — the version of wireless broadband used by those companies, among others. While wireless customers may have started to see bars popping up on their phone’s “EV” meter several months ago, the service was just in its testing phase then. Now, though, the system is ready for anyone who wants to jump on board. The downside? A company’s wireless broadband service works only with that company’s phones. If you don’t have Verizon or Alltel, you’re out of luck in Gillette.
source: gillettenewsrecord.com
Cell Phone Reviews
iPod Touch & iPhone: stable GBA emulator now available
iPhone Signal Strength Problems In the UK

Friday, November 23, 2007

Using iPhone in winters may cause injury

London, Nov 23: Experts have warned that the iPhone could be responsible for causing repetitive strain injury if used for long periods in cold weather.

They said that muscles get strained from the unusual finger movements needed to search its menus or text and cold worsens the situation.

The caution came after analysts predicted 500,000 of the gizmos would sell in the UK before Christmas.

"When you text or use the iPhone you use far smaller muscles in the hand, which can fatigue quicker," The Sun quoted Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association, as saying.

He said the problem is particularly evident in winter as less blood reaches muscles so they are stiff

He added that RSI could spread to the arm and elbow if the 269 pounds gadget, which has a mobile, iPod, camera, and browser, is held at a right angle for texting.

Hutchful recommends users write short texts and keep their hands warm.

Apple refused to comment on the matter.
source: http://www.zeenews.com
Cell Phone Reviews

WordPress admin interface optimized to work with iPhone, other mobile phones

iPhone users who happen to write a blog, here’s a good news for ya. Thanks to the new plugin called WPhone, you’ll be able to add new and manage existing posts right from your shiny handset, wherever you are. Apparently, WPhone is quite fast — all pages are NOT ONLY pared down to their bare essential HTML, but each is GZIPed before it is sent off to the iPhone, saving bandwidth for those using the crappy EDGE network.

In addition, the folks behind WPhone also prepared a plugin version that works with other mobile browsers which don’t support JavaScript. There you have it — now you can really blog on-the-go…
source: http://www.intomobile.com
Cell Phone Reviews

RIM working on iPhone rival?

RIM, once the maker of the most corporate-looking handhelds, is rumoured to be working on a touch-screen phone that will compete with the iPhone and - for the first time on a Blackberry - have no hard keyboard.
The Blackberry 9000 series will be aimed at the consumer market, where the condensed Blackberry Pearl has had a lot of success since its launch last year marked a change of direction for RIM.

"The 9000 is supposed to be a touchscreen device, very similar in form factor to the iPhone," says analyst Carmi Levy of ARCommunications, in an article for Unstrung. He expects them to appear in the first quarter of 2008, to be aimed squarely at consumers, not suits, and to have 3G as well as updated multimedia abilities.

RIM isn't discussing this in public, but the rumours on several sites are getting confident that the 9000 will extend the company's Pearl consumer range a bit further to capitalise on the demand created by the iPhone.

While Levy is quoted saying this is "the future of the Blackberry franchise," no one expects the new product - if any - to dislodge the company's mainstay, the traditional Blackberry qwerty email phones beloved by executives.

RIM hasn't responded to this burst of rumours but Levy believes the 9000 Series will appear in the first quarter of 2008, apparently after missing an original target of the second half of this year.
source: http://www.techworld.com
Cell Phone Reviews

Using IPhone in the winter may cause repetitive strain injury

London, Nov 23 (ANI): Experts have warned that the iPhone could be responsible for causing repetitive strain injury if used for long periods in cold weather.

They said that muscles get strained from the unusual finger movements needed to search its menus or text and cold worsens the situation.

The caution came after analysts predicted 500,000 of the gizmos would sell in the UK before Christmas.

When you text or use the iPhone you use far smaller muscles in the hand, which can fatigue quicker, The Sun quoted Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association, as saying.

He said the problem is particularly evident in winter as less blood reaches muscles so they are stiff

He added that RSI could spread to the arm and elbow if the 269 pounds gadget, which has a mobile, iPod, camera, and browser, is held at a right angle for texting.

Hutchful recommends users write short texts and keep their hands warm.
Apple refused to comment on the matter. (ANI)
source: http://www.thaindian.com
Cell Phone Reviews

iPhone out of contract in Germany

Love or loathe Apple, the geeky side of many of us would just love to have a play with the company's latest gadget, the iPhone. Trouble is, getting an iPhone in the UK means buying into an expensive contract with O2, something that's unlikely to appeal to a majority of potential users.

In Germany, though, the situation is rather different. There, T-Mobile now allows customers to buy iPhones without contracts. Yep, no contracts at all. Furthermore, those in Germany who've already purchased iPhones can have their SIMs unlocked for free and then use the network of their choice.

Why the change? Well, Vodaphone took matters into its own hands and went to a German court to contest T-Mobile's exclusive deal with Apple for iPhone. If you're listening Orange, Vodaphone or any other UK operator, hint, hint, the courtroom awaits.

Though this may seem like great news, there's a catch. When purchased in Germany with a T-Mobile contract, the iPhone costs €399. That's pretty expensive but the cost of buying an iPhone without a contract is massively more - a whopping €999! Still, it is at least a step in the right direction, sort of.
source: http://lifestyle.hexus.net
Phone news

Next iPhone will tune into your tastes

If you thought that Apple's iPhone was smart you should take a look at what mobile boffins are working on now.

Apple famously took the idea for the Macintosh user interface from Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center Inc. (PARC). Eventually that evolved into Mac OS X, on which the iPhone is based.

Now PARC engineers have developed software that can make recommendations about local restaurants, concerts, shopping areas and other activities based on the time of day, the user's physical location and the user's personal tastes.

The software, called rather disgustingly Magitti (does it also help anglers find bait?), turn a mobile phone into a super-smart PDA.

"We're trying to make [the mobile phone] more like a human," Victoria Bellotti, a principal scientist at PARC, told Computerworld.

"Instead of just directing stuff at you, it tries to make inferences about what kind of activity you're engaged in. On a Sunday afternoon, it might suggest going to a park or a gallery. It will learn patterns based on what you tend to show an interest in. It looks at things like where you go, what recommendations you liked. It's like having a companion with you."

Or like having your mum constantly suggest what you should be doing instead of staying in bed, slumping in front of the telly or going to the pub.

Bellotti said the software uses artificial intelligence algorithms that make inferences about what the user is doing by comparing the GPS location of, say, a restaurant he frequents for brunch, with a database of eateries. Based on the knowledge the Magitti accumulates, recommendations will change, and become more honed, over time.

Of course, the potential of advertising is sure to bend the whole thing into sponsored businesses that try to make you eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner at McDonalds or Starbucks, or watch the latest Vince Vaughn movie even though you think he's incredibly overrated – and therefore destroy the whole concept very quickly.

Bellotti says that it is tentatively slated for release during 2009.

However, seeing as nearly every great Xerox PARC invention only sees the day when someone else buys/copies/steals it, I'd suggest that Apple's iPhone is more likely to do something similar around the same time.
source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk
Phone news

iFuntastic 4.7.1 with iTunes 7.5 (and iPhone 1.1.2) Support

The latest version of iFuntastic 4.7.1 has been released. The iPhone customization/jailbreaking software is now shareware for many of the advanced features. Release notes:

- support for iTunes 7.5
- fixed text display for Leopard
- improved email procedure
- fixed alignment bug for Home Screen backgrounds (thank you Szymon)
- a 'Small Icons' choice for the (advanced) Home Screen
- fixed 'vanishing iPod icon' bug
- a 'News' page for up-to-date info about updates bugs and more
- a 'Make Executable' function in the File Manager item popup menu (thank you Avi and Alberto)
additional tweaks and simplifications based on your valuable feedback - keep it coming!

The latest version of iFuntastic allows users to jailbreak their 1.0.2, 1.1.1, and 1.1.2 iPhones, and also provide other customization options. There are directions on how to Jailbreak a 1.1.2 iPhone for free, but some may find this solution more convenient.
source: http://www.macrumors.com
Phone news

Disney to Launch the iPhone in Japan

Only those who been totally blocked-out from all media sources over the last year would wonder what an iPhone is as the so-called “Jesus Phone” has been in the mainstream headlines since even before it was officially unveiled in January. However, for a combination of reasons, there has only been mild speculation about when - or indeed how - it would become available in the Japanese market. Citing the initial lack of 3G capability, not too mention an ‘unusual’ operator revenue share arrangement, the story so far has centered around deployments in the US and Europe.

We noted here on Wireless Watch last week that, “SoftBank and Disney have come to terms on rolling out the long-awaited Mickey Mouse MVNO in Japan.”, and it would seem - as speculated then - the iPhone could very well play front and center role in their plans. Looking beyond whois on their board of directors, a handset deal tied to revenue share from the traditional operators would be a ‘difficult’ proposition in Japan. With a dozen OEM’s here who have long-established carrier connections, such a move would — shall we say — set a rather disruptive standard going forward. However, an MVNO like Disney should have a little more breathing space to maneuver and most certainly would love to splash with some glitzy hardware bling in order to attract even more attention.
On the content side, Disney has real depth beyond just cute characters.. which are very popular in their own right here. The companies movie catalogue and TV inventory via Buena Vista combined with games, music and Extreme Sports offerings would all display quite nicely on “Steves Amazing Device”.

So much for antidotal pondering. How could we come to terms with making such a bold statement, when even the local very well connected tech media has not - so far as we could find - managed to break this news? WWJ subscribers login for the real juice.
source: http://wirelesswatch.jp
Phone news

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Stuttering start for iPhone

Sales of the iPhone for its launch weekend (November 9-11) are thought to be considerably less than 50,000, rather than the 100,000 widely reported last week and described by O2 itself as “over-exagerated”.

O2 UK chief executive Peter Erskine said O2 had sold “tens of thousands” iPhones following launch, outstripping sales of the device at multiple chain Carphone Warehouse. Most sales had gone to brand new O2 customers, lured away from rivals by the iPhone, O2’s “fastest-selling device ever”. Footfall to its own stores jumped threefold compared with the equivalent weekend last year, said Erskine.

Unsubstantiated reports appeared on several websites claiming 8,000 iPhones had been activated on iTunes by the end of Friday, November 9, and T-Mobile, Apple’s German launch partner, claimed to have sold 10,000 by the afternoon of its launch day.

But retail staff sounded deflated by the reality. One O2 retail assistant in Hampstead said: "At the start of the weekend, we thought we would have very little in stock by now. Friday evening was manic and we saw all the Apple fanatics and technology-minded people snapping them up. But all the hype has disappeared now, and the excitement looks to have drained past the weekend."

Meanwhile Carphone, which is understood to have informed sales staff it expected to double weekly sales in just two days, is thought to have missed targets by some margin. Carphone chief executive Charles Dunstone handled the first sale (pictured) and the retailer set itself internal sales targets of 20,000 over launch weekend, according to store staff. One staffer claimed his store processed 160 iPhone sales over the weekend, the best-performance across its London retail estate.

But the Monday after, most Carphone staff also sounded deflated by the weekend’s sales performance.

“The interest on Friday evening was incredible – I think we sold 160 iPhones that evening, more than any other Carphone store in London. There was still some interest on Saturday, but it was very dead on Sunday and has been very quiet today (Monday), which we've found very strange,” said a Chelsea branch employee.

“We were extremely busy on Friday evening and most of Saturday, but it has died down dramatically since then. People have stopped by, but all they are doing is looking at the iPhone and not buying it,” said a retail assistant at Carphone’s Marylebone Road branch.

“The interest from Friday night has cooled now. We won’t see that level of activity again,” said a staffer at Carphone Hammersmith.

Problems arose at many Carphone stores as shoppers were unable to buy the iPhone during the first hour of the launch because Carphone’s chip and PIN payment system crashed. Many stores began to accept cash payments for the handset, which is not a method normally accepted by Apple.

Carphone said the problems were a minor glitch in a successful launch. spokesperson said: “The payment problem was only a minor issue and was due to the high volume of transactions. But the situation was resolved quickly and caused minimal problems.”

Even the queues outside the stores on launch day failed to live up to the hype: around 100 Apple diehards queued for more than six hours for the handset, but their number appeared larger only because of the media throng that attended. But for a couple of sites, O2 and Carphone stores meanwhile had a handful of enthusiasts queuing, and no more.

Said one London observer: “You could have waited in the warm, in the pub, until 6pm, and just walked across the road when the stores opened, straight in and picked up an iPhone without queuing. If you wanted one.”

O2 installed an extra 1,427 customer service and retail staff across the UK to ensure a smooth service experience for iPhone customers through Christmas. Around 450 from head office also joined its ranks for the Friday afternoon store shift.

Carphone chief executive Charles Dunstone was on hand at Carphone’s flaghsip store on Oxford Street to complete the first sale there.
source: http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk
Phone news

iPhone: Too high a price to pay?

Now that the marketing blitz and customer hype about the Apple iPhone are reverting back to more realistic levels there comes some not entirely unexpected news: yes the Apple iPhone has been hacked, as reported in the press. Word of this hack came less than 30 days after launch.

That the hack occurred is certainly no surprise. That it occurred so soon after its launch is also no major shock. But let's look beyond that single incident to larger issues on the horizon.

Does the iPhone hack portend that the long-anticipated assault on the security of mobile phones has arrived? Yes and no.

No, because there has been some, though not a lot of, malware "available" for mobile phones for almost three years (for example Cabir variants). Yes, because this will probably spark a far wider recognition among users that mobile devices are, in reality, smaller but nevertheless still complex computer systems, and not "merely" phones.

While relatively "dumb" digital mobile phones remain on the market, the new iPhone has a level of complexity that has not really been seen before in mobile phones. And for security professionals, complexity breeds insecurity. This hack of the new "in"-toy will almost certainly spark that wider recognition among users.

The bigger question that is begging to be asked concerns carriers' vendor interests versus those of their customers.

While most of Europe and Asia have open networks where customers can readily change operators based on pricing and offerings (and other aspects of vendor satisfaction desired by the individual customer), in the US, it is the carrier rather than the subscriber who wields the ultimate power. Phone numbers are now portable, but customers are forbidden to change networks without incurring a penalty.

The launch of the Apple iPhone brought this into stark focus with the realisation that the quid pro quo for getting your hands on this "object of desire" was to submit yourself to being locked into one carrier. Similarly, the subsequent launch into Europe, with Apple taking a revenue share from the exclusive operator in each territory, raises this question: are European networks set to become less, not more, open?

With the need to generate revenue and in the scramble to secure the rights to the device that is redefining the mobile user experience, both the networks and the devices themselves are being increasingly locked down, which seems to be flying in the face of what the customer actually wants and expects. It is neither a good, nor sustainable, position for the carriers to be in.

As increasingly advanced mobile technologies herald a new level of complexity and feature sophistication, what does this mean for the future of open phones? Customers are growing tired of closed phones, where only carrier-approved applications can be downloaded, and those customers are increasingly unwilling to pay the high prices charged by the carriers. Customers want open phones where they can load whatever applications they want on to them, and to get those applications from vendors of their choosing.

The debate has even reached the US Congress. Following the launch of the iPhone in July, the house subcommittee on telecommunications and the internet criticised AT&T for locking buyers into an exclusive contract and charging a termination fee for those who want to switch early. AT&T's $175 (£86) fee leaves iPhone owners even more out of pocket as the phone won't work on any other network and they bought it at full price - phone operators use the fact that they give away handsets to justify termination fees.

One must now wonder if any moves by European operators to lock in subscribers and limit choice and access will fall foul of European Commission regulators.

Ultimately, however, it will come down to the one group that has the ultimate decision-making power: the subscriber. Will consumers be willing to trade openness and choice for the gadget of their dreams?

- Tim Mather is chief security strategist for RSA Conferences.
source: http://www.securecomputing.net.au
Phone news

Debitel Wants To Offer iPhone Call Package On German Market

FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Germany's third-largest mobile phone services supplier, debitel AG, is planning to retail a special calling package for use with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone handset, if technically possible, a debitel spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday.

The debitel spokeswoman said the company welcomes T-Mobile Deutschland's preliminary move, announced earlier Wednesday, to allow consumers the option of buying an iPhone without any phone service contract attached, and without a SIM- lock in place.

However, the spokeswoman said, debitel is disappointed that T-Mobile Deutschland didn't first discuss such a solution with other players in the sector.

Debitel doesn't itself own a network, but uses those of four German operators. It resells the mobile phone service packages of those operators, and also retails calling packages under its own brand.

Apple has awarded to T-Mobile Deutschland, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG (DT), exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in Germany.

A SIM-lock which T-Mobile Deutschland had been placing on all iPhones sold limited users to using T-Mobile Deutschland's own network.

T-Mobile Deutschland's marketing strategy for the iPhone has been challenged in a regional court in Hamburg by the German unit of Vodafone Group PLC (VOD).

The debitel spokeswoman declined to say whether debitel would be filing a complaint on T-Mobile's iPhone marketing practices with Germany's federal network agency, but said it could be assumed that it would.

T-Mobile Deutschland had been selling the iPhone, which combines a phone, a wireless Internet connection and a digital music player, since Nov. 9.
source: http://money.cnn.com
Phone news

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

iPhone phone-home furphy

The fuss started when someone discovered that the URL sent by an iPhone's Stocks and Weather widgets includes a parameter named IMEI.

An IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is the number that uniquely identifies a mobile phone.

If you put two and two together and end up with a number significantly greater than four, you may also leap to the conclusion that Stocks and Weather requests actually transmit the iPhone's IMEI.
When other people analysed the URLs actually transmitted by the widgets, they discovered that it was the identity of the widget, not the iPhone, that was being sent. The value of the IMEI parameter doesn't change when you use a different iPhone - or iPod touch, for that matter. Since the iPod touch isn't a phone, it doesn't have an IMEI to start with.

But the discovery does lead to questions about why someone at Apple thought it was a good idea to have a parameter called IMEI rather than some other name. Was - or more worryingly is - there a plan to send uniquely identifying information at some stage?

Where's that roll of aluminium foil?
source: http://www.itwire.com
Apple iPhone Reviews

Vodafone challenges exclusive German iPhone deal

Deutsche Telekom requires buyers to sign up to a two-year contract with its T-Mobile wireless network. As well, the iPhone (AAPL:
168.00, -0.89, -0.5%) contains a lock that prevents it from being used on any other network.
But the regional court in Hamburg on Tuesday temporarily prohibited T-Mobile from continuing to sell the iPhone only in combination with that two-year contract, and requested that the device be allowed to function with other networks.
A full hearing on the matter will reportedly take place in Hamburg in two weeks' time.
This could pose significant problems for T-Mobile, which fought hard to secure exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in Germany, just the way AT&T Inc. (T:, , ) did in the U.S. and Telefonica's (TEF:100.12, -1.08, -1.1%) O2 did in Britain.
Vodafone Deutschland, a unit of Vodafone Group Plc (UK:VOD: news, chart, profile) (VOD:, , ) , the
world's largest mobile operator by revenue, kicked off the hostilities by filing a preliminary injunction regarding T-Mobile's marketing rights late Monday.

Vodafone said it doesn't plan to file similar injunctions in other countries where the iPhone is sold.
But analysts cautioned that the case could set a dangerous precedent.
"The major risk is that if the German market is going to have an unlocked device, then it would likely be the end of Apple's exclusive deals with carriers," said Carolina Milanesi, research director in the mobile and wireless device practice of Gartner Group.
"Apple may have to rethink its business model and revenue-share agreement earlier than they planned to," she said.
Deutsche Telekom shares were flat in Frankfurt afternoon trading, underperforming the broader market. Vodafone shares slipped 0.2% in London.
In France, Apple recruited France Telecom's (FR:013330: news, chart, profile) Orange mobile phone subsidiary to sell the iPhone. But national laws barring the locking of phones mean the U.S. company is expected to offer devices that could work on any network starting Nov. 29.
Vodafone will launch its own multifunctional handheld-computer phone, the QBowl, before Christmas as a direct competitor to the iPhone.
source: http://www.marketwatch.com
Apple iPhone Reviews

3G iPhone rumours return

SevenClick claims to have spoken to "one of the main managers of [Spanish carrier] Telefonica".

According to the report, Telefonica expects to release a 3G iPhone in May 2008, although an agreement with Apple has yet to be reached.

Other stories, apparently originating at Morse.it, say that by March or April, Vodafone will be the 3G iPhone carrier for all the European countries where it operates. Vodafone has subsidiaries in Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and the UK.

Some commentators suggest Vodafone's iPhone-related suit against T-Mobile in Germany works against this rumour, but we're not so sure: perhaps Vodafone is keen to establish whether German courts will uphold the tying of handsets and service plans before it finalises its deal with Apple.

According to Morse.it, the 'exclusive' iPhone deals in the UK, Germany and France only relate to the EDGE-based model, leaving Apple to do a deal with another competing carrier for the 3G iPhone.

Apple has shown a tendency to make iPhone announcements well ahead of time, so if these rumours have any foundation we would expect the 3G iPhone to be previewed at January's Macworld Expo.
source: http://www.itwire.com
Apple iPhone Reviews

Zinio, Texterity Launch iPhone, iPod Reader Software

Dueling digital publishing companies are courting early adapters with new publishing and distribution platforms that will let people read popular magazines on Apple’s iPhones and iPod Touch devices.

Zinio, which makes digital replicas of books and magazines, announced it has introduced a new version for iPhone and iPod Touch users.

Magazines available to them include Hachette Filipacchi Media’s Car & Driver and Woman’s Day, Playboy, Hearst Magazines’ Popular Mechanics, and Rodale’s Men’s Health.

The magazines initially will be available for free by going to Zinio’s Web site.

Also this week, rival Texterity is releasing a 1.0 version of its iPhone and iPod Touch platform, with 52 magazines making their current issue available for free, said Cimarron Buser, vp, marketing.

Participating magazines include Reader’s Digest Associations’ Every Day with Rachael Ray, Time Inc.’s Cottage Living and Meredith Corp.’s Ready Made. In all, Texterity has 450 magazine clients.

Texterity came out with a beta iPhone version in July with about 20 magazines available, followed by an iPod Touch version.
source: http://www.mediaweek.com
iPhone Reviews

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Apple: We'll Make iPhone Better. We Promise!

By David Becker
Apple, having apparently noticed that not everyone is willing to wait for official iPhone improvements, is promising that more firmware upgrade goodness is on the way. "All the complaints and feature requests we've had can be fixed and added by software upgrades", an unnamed flak told Pocket-lint.

No specifics on exactly what is in the works, but another unnamed industry source says to pay attention to what Dare to Brick crowd is doing.
If the reason to upgrade the software each time is compelling enough, then you are less likely to hack the software, meaning Apple gets to earn the substantial revenue agreement it has with the official operator.
source: http://blog.wired.com
iPhone Reviews

Update: iPhone stocks

(Fortune Magazine) -- In "How to Dial In to the iPhone Bonanza" (May 28) we recommended a basket of stocks poised to benefit from Apple's breakthrough iPhone: AT&T (Charts, Fortune 500), the exclusive phone operator for the iPhone in the U.S.; one of the phone's chip suppliers, Broadcom (Charts); and rival Nokia (Charts), which would benefit from overall consumer interest in sophisticated phones such as the Apple device.

What happened: We gave some mixed signals. Phone giant AT&T, which got some bad press for the slowness of the data connections on the iPhone, is nonetheless up almost $3, or 7%, as of Oct. 31.

Chipmaker Broadcom hit $43 but fell back to $33 (its price when we cited it) after analysts downgraded the stock on concerns about the company's investment strategy and expenses.

Our one great call? Nokia. The Apple competitor, which is launching an online music store (sound familiar?) and is pushing into Internet services, has seen its stock climb $15, to almost $40, a 60% gain.

We were wrong about Apple (Charts, Fortune 500) itself, though. We said the stock, then trading at 32 times trailing earnings, was a risky bet. The stock now trades at 48 times earnings and has surged $89, to $190.
source: http://money.cnn.com
iPhone Reviews

Id's Carmack Says Apple Not Supportive of iPhone Games

Id Software's John Carmack recently openly criticized Apple's attitude toward supporting game developers, and said that he and Steve Jobs have had "a fairly heated argument" over the issue.

Carmack has some experience developing games for mobile platforms. The company, long-known for landmark games like "Doom" and "Quake," created "Doom RPG" for mobile handsets, along with Orcs & Elves.

Recently GameDaily BIZ interviewed Carmack about those efforts, and the subject of Apple and gaming came up.

Carmack's focus was specifically on mobile gaming, and when asked about iPhone and iPod game development, he said that he and Steve Jobs got into a "fairly heated argument" at Apple's 2007 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

"I have an iPhone right now and it's a platform I would enjoy developing for but Apple is not taking progressing steps in regards to [gaming]," Carmack is quoted as saying.

Carmack confesses that Apple's iPhone development strategy is working "from a business standpoint," and said he's not going to second-guess the company and tell them they're "being fools or idiots" for not focusing on gaming for the device.

He went on to say that Apple is "not exactly hugely supportive" of gaming. The iPod, he says, is "in many ways ? one of the worst environments to develop games for," because game developers have to work on an emulator, among other drawbacks.

"? just all these horrible decisions," said Carmack.

Carmack said that he's expressed his concerns to Jobs, "so [Apple] are at least aware of all of them, but they're not giving any spectacular signs that it's going to be a big deal for them in the next year."
source: http://www.pcworld.com
iPhone Reviews

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Static for iPhone Supplier Balda

by Jack Ewing
Just as the Apple (AAPL) iPhone launches in Europe, a German company that analysts believe is the major supplier of its unique touch screen is under fire for its financial practices and lagging profitability. Balda (BADG.DE), which makes touch screens in Xiamen, China, via a joint venture with Singapore-based TPK Holding, raised eyebrows on Oct. 31 when it sold $50 million in "convertible profit participation rights" to unnamed institutional investors.

The 8% interest rate on the paper, which is similar to a bond that can be converted to stock, struck analysts as too expensive, and they expressed frustration with the sparse information that Balda management disclosed about the reasoning behind the issue. Analyst Tobias Loskamp of BHF-Bank in Frankfurt, who's normally bullish on Balda, criticized management's "needless lack of transparency." A Balda spokesman said the company, which just hired a new chief financial officer, is striving to improve disclosure.
Downplaying Poor Numbers

Balda's earnings also came in lower than expected. The company's report to shareholders on Oct. 31 headlined earnings before interest and taxes of $3 million in the third quarter on sales of $114 million, vs. a loss of $20 million in the year-earlier period. But including discontinued operations, the company suffered a net loss of $30 million in the third quarter of 2007—a fact not mentioned in the press release though it was contained in the more detailed quarterly report. Balda also suffered from disappointing numbers in the previous quarter (BusinessWeek, 8/2/07).

Another point prompting criticism is that Balda is counting as discontinued operations money-losing units that the company is trying to sell but hasn't yet. The practice doesn't violate accounting rules but has fueled perceptions that Balda management is downplaying negative information. Balda has good prospects of selling the units before the end of the year, company spokesman Clas Röhl said.
The news wasn't all bad. Balda halved its quarterly loss from last year while more than doubling sales, and some major investors remain optimistic. Guy Wyser-Pratte, whose New York-based Wyser-Pratte & Co. owns 7% of Balda, said he continues to believe that Balda has a substantial lead over other touch-technology providers. Wyser-Pratte blames the 36% decline in Balda shares since July on "massive" short selling by rival hedge funds. "You have people wishing bad on the company, trying everything they can to spread bad stories," he says.
Apple Contracts Are Unconfirmed

Neither secrecy-obsessed Apple nor Balda has ever confirmed that Balda is supplying screens for the iPhone, which debuts in Europe Nov. 9. Deutsche Telekom (DT) will be selling the innovative handset in Germany while Telefónica's (TEF) O2 unit is selling it in Britain. The heart of the iPhone is its touch-screen interface, the specs for which closely match Balda technology. Balda boasts that its glass-surfaced screens are supposed to be more sensitive, thinner, and harder to scratch or smudge than conventional plastic touch displays. They offer sharper resolution and can sense several human digits simultaneously.

Balda is probably also supplying touch-screen components to the new iPod Touch, says BHF-Bank's Loskamp, who continues to rate the shares a "strong buy." However Apple, which historically does not like to be too dependent on any one supplier, also is commissioning screens from other companies such as Japan's Sharp (6753.T), industry watchers say.

Balda's future hinges on continuing to remain in Apple's good graces as bigger rivals try to duplicate or beat its technology. But the company isn't totally reliant on touch screens; Balda also makes plastic housings for handsets sold by companies such as Sony Ericsson.
Migrating to Asia

Despite Balda's relatively small size, it has attracted unusual interest from hedge funds and international investors. FMR Corp., better known as Fidelity Investments, owns 9.7%, according to Balda. The largest outside shareholder is London-based Audley Capital with a stake of more than 10%. Along with Wyser-Pratte, Audley has urged Balda Chief Executive Officer Joachim Gut to shift almost all the company's operations to Asia, where costs are lower and where most other suppliers are located.

Michael Treichl, managing partner of Audley, expressed some frustration at the pace of restructuring at Balda and the time it has taken for the company to profit from its iPhone work. But he added, "They're finally doing what we have told them to do, which is essentially turn into an Asian business."
source: http://www.businessweek.com/
iphone news

iPhone: The readers speak

By Macworld Staff
Meeting the iPhone

I was surprised at one major omission from your review of the iPhone (“Meet the iPhone,” September 2007): its lack of a voice-dialing feature. I love the look and the interface, but for those of us who often have to make calls while on the road for business, the inability to place a call simply by speaking the number or the contact’s name is a serious weakness. Until I can make a call without taking my hands off the wheel (as you can with most other new phones), I’ll have to hold off.—Chris Watson

In your review of the iPhone, you didn’t mention its biggest negative: you can’t replace the battery by yourself, and Apple rips you off $75 to do it. (And you don’t have a phone until Apple ships it back.) I’ll wait to buy the iPhone until I can change my own battery, thank you.—Bob Kocher

It is amazing that with all the ink you used on your iPhone coverage, you left out the biggest drawback to the iPhone: its [cell phone] carrier. Apple needs to open the iPhone to work with other carriers. Until it does, there will be many potential consumers (like me) who will reject the iPhone, no matter how many bells and whistles it has.—Doug Lindsay

Please don’t get me wrong. I love my new iPhone. I think it is worth every penny. However, I disagree with something you said in your September issue: “It’s also a full-featured iPod.” Not true. My iPod (an old, second-generation model) includes EQ and voice memos, and can accept files as an external hard drive; the iPhone doesn’t and can’t. You also quoted a buyer as saying “Today, I’ve got three things in my pocket. Tomorrow, I’ll have one.” Again, not true for me. The iPhone is missing critical PDA features; you can’t, for example, search for items in Calendar, Contacts, and Notes. The iPhone’s potential is exciting, but it won’t be a valid PDA replacement until it at least includes some way to search.—Joe Belotte

I read John Gruber’s Spotlight column about the iPhone in your September edition (“The New Frontier,” September 2007) with incredulity. His contention that a mouse is more precise than my fingers made me snort with derision. Unlike John, I have a lot of respect for my fingers. I think they’re fabulously precise. And they should be: nature’s been working on them for a few billion years (a bit longer than Steve Jobs and his team have been working on the Mac graphical interface). My mouse provides me with the equivalent of a single fingertip, with which I am expected to do everything. This is worse than inadequate—it’s hopelessly limiting.—Colin Bisset
Quicken pros and cons

While Quicken for Mac (“Smart Money,” September 2007) is probably an adequate program for most people, it is simply inadequate for small business use. You didn’t mention the most useful alternative: running Quicken Home and Business (available only for Windows) in Parallels. It’s a perfect combination: I can bring a terrific accounting system over to my machine of choice, the MacBook Pro (and I can finally get rid of my last PC).—Dan Beach

The author actually did make that very suggestion in the original draft of his story, but we cut it for space reasons. Apologies for the omission.—Dan Miller

I was surprised to see that you recommended Quicken Home Inventory in your otherwise good feature about Quicken tricks. In my experience, Quicken Home Inventory is a complete piece of junk. It is mind-numbingly slow and it constantly crashes. I do not understand why Intuit ever released this program.—Will Windham

I was disappointed not to see In2M’s Web-based accounting program Mvelopes Personal included in “8 Great Quicken Alternatives.” Mvelopes is based on the envelope method of budgeting, in which you set aside money for expenses in virtual envelopes—a proactive way to make sure your money goes where you intend before you spend it. Mvelopes is a subscription service, but it’s inexpensive (about $11 a month) and offers a free 30-day trial. I’ve tried many of the apps mentioned in your article, and for interface and features, I like Mvelopes best.—Frank Piacitelli

After converting to the Mac (thank goodness) after 25 years of using PCs, I found that Quicken for Mac made a mess of my Quicken for Windows data files. But Reilly Technologies’ Moneydance ($30) made the conversion flawlessly. I have found it a very easy and intuitive program to use, complete with automatic daily updates of stock and mutual fund prices. I’m sorry, but Gina Trapani missed the boat on this one—Moneydance is easily a “top 8” financial program alternative to Quicken.—Joe Henderson

I recently went through the (surprisingly difficult) process of finding a replacement for the venerable MacMoney (which, alas, never made the transition to OS X). I evaluated several of the apps you reviewed, but the one I ultimately chose was conspicuous in its absence. Nano Software’s Accounts ($35) is an inexpensive, elegant double-entry accounting application. It has some features (such as numbered accounts) and a few limitations (no linking to online accounts) that might not suit all users. But it offers the essentials of personal or small-business accounting with simplicity and aplomb.—Steven Naylor
Where’s my Mac?

In “GPS for the Mac” (Mobile Mac, September 2007) you say, “I’ve tested Garmin’s MapSource software on Parallels, with a handful of current Garmin GPS units, and it worked just fine.” This might have been true before the latest Parallels upgrade, but now a problem with Parallels’ USB drivers keeps the Garmin unit from working with Parallels. This happens with several hardware combinations and there’s no workaround.—Sami Kulju

You might want to also mention the excellent GPSNavX ($60; gpsnavx.com) software, which I’ve used for years. For marine navigation, it’s superior to programs costing hundreds of dollars more.—Loren Beach

I have two Garmin GPS units, the nüvi 350 ($537) and GPSMap 76CSx ($482). The 350 has been very simple to use with my Mac; it shows up as a mass storage device, so it’s simple to drag things into and out of it. The 76CSx, on the other hand, has been a real pain. I attempted to load maps onto it from Windows XP Pro (via Parallels Desktop 2.0) on an Intel Mac Mini with no luck.—Mark Winchester
A modest proposal

In his September 2007 column (From the Editor’s Desk), Jason Snell noted that Macworld is “a magazine focused on everything Apple—not just the Mac.” Here is an idea: Apple recently changed its name to Apple Inc. since it now does more than just computers. Perhaps it’s time to change the name of your magazine to AppleWorld. If you want to extend my subscription for a few years for suggesting it, that would be cool.—Dan Losinger
source: http://www.macworld.com/
iphone news

LG Launches iPhone-Like Smartphone In Europe

LG Electronics has officially launched its iPhone-like smartphone in Europe, making the device available in stores just days before Apple's iPhone goes on sale overseas.

The LG-KS20, which hit store shelves Monday, has the same thin rectangular design as the iPhone, but a smaller touch screen: 2.8 inches diagonally versus 3.5 inches. The LG phone has a stylus for navigating the 240-by-320 pixels screen, although it's not as interactive as iPhone's touch screen, which enables the use of fingers to manipulate pictures, video, and data.

LG launched its smartphone four days before the iPhone is scheduled to go on sale in Europe. The Korean company unveiled the KS20 in August at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin.

While the iPhone uses a mobile version of Apple's Mac OS X, the KS20 runs on version 6 of Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s Windows Mobile for Pocket PC. The LG device includes an MP3 player, FM radio, and a 2.0 mega-pixel camera. The KS20 has 128-Mbytes of memory, weighs 3.4 ounces, and has a battery life of four hours of talking, and 400 hours on standby.

Like the iPhone, the KS20 supports Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet via wireless broadband, and also supports Bluetooth for wireless connections with other supporting devices, such as a notebook or headphone. A video demo of the LG device can be seen on YouTube.

The iPhone has drawn media attention to the smartphone market, increasing consumer interest in the devices. Apple sold 1.4 million units within the first 90 days of the device's June 29 release in the United States, and its success has competitors rushing to market with alternatives. Besides LG, Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Palm, Sprint (NYSE: S), T-Mobile, and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) have launched challengers.

With the saturation of multifunction devices, analysts expect smartphone sales worldwide to grow from about 20 million this year to 150 million by 2011.
source: http://www.informationweek.com
iphone news

Sunday, November 4, 2007

iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod nano? A Living with Tech Smackdown

So what I really wanted to find out was if the iPhone was worth the money; and somehow I started down the road of comparison testing. (I guess it really is part of my nature).

I lived with the iPhone on a business trip to San Francisco (talk about bringing the coals to Newcastle) and came back with more questions.

More after the jump.


Some background: I've owned and used several smartphones and PDAs from the major players: Palm Vx, HandSpring Visor, Treo 650 (Palm), Toshiba e750 (PocketPC), Sony Ericsson P900 (Symbian UIQ), Nokia N80 (Symbian S60v3), and my current whip, the T-Mobile MDA (Windows Mobile 5). Heck I even used a Newton MessagePad 2100 back in the day. I own the MDA because I want a phone that can also do data functions, like quick lookups on Wikipedia and do multimedia tasks like playing back video files or MP3s. Native programs like SlingPlayer Mobile and Zagat to Go are gravy. The big annoyances with MDA are the lackluster phone performance, and the smaller 2.5mm headphone jack. I tried using a pair of A2DP Bluetooth headphones, but that didn't work as well as my iPod nano 2G with wired earbuds. The MDA is a middling to fair phone, a great PDA, a passable media player, and a passable Internet tablet.
Now I've also owned several generations of Apple iPod: iPod 2G, iPod 4G (monochrome), and iPod nano 1G and 2G. I used to use a Compaq MMC-based MP3 player before the iPods, and I also own an old Archos av500 for videos on the go.

Now my (current) ultimate pocketable device would give me as many of the following features as possible, and would let me combine the functionality of an iPod and a smartphone:

-A good quality phone, with decent coverage in the NYC area;
-3G or better data;
-WiFi;
-Ability to use iTunes-bought programming and management (Hey, I like being able to check and uncheck content to be synced, even better than the drag-and-drop simplicity of the Archos because sometimes I want to watch things over without having to search for it. Plus iTunes backup is as simple as dragging the iTunes folder over to a shared or USB drive);
-Internet browsing, as close to 'desktop class' as possible;
-Video playback;
-Calendaring with links to Outlook/Entourage;
-Outlook/Entourage Contact management;
-Music playback through high quality third-party earbuds (I like both the Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 Pro and the Shure E4g for quiet room listening or commuting, respectively). This is notable because both pairs of headphones use L-shaped plugs that don't fit in the iPhone;
-Note taking;
-Bluetooth for in-car Handsfree (must have) and dial up networking for laptops (would be nice).;


The MDA plus the iPod nano 2G got me most of the functions above, but I really want a 'one pocket' device, which the iPhone initially promised. Again my scores for the MDA would be: Phone (2.5 out of 5), Internet data tablet (3 out of 5), native apps (5 out of 5), PDA (4.5 out of 5) and media player (3 out of 5). I didn't rate the MDA's email capabilites because our corporate email (still) doesn't support mobile devices aside from a few Blackberries and Goodlink devices.

I borrowed the iPhone for a couple of weeks, with the iPod Touch and an iPod nano 3G as well.
The iPhone was both a revelation and a disappointment. The iPhone was an OK to very good phone, since AT&T's service in the NYC area is less than optimal. Things got better when I took it on a trip to San Francisco, which makes sense since the Bay area is Apple's home base. In SF, voice quality was decent, and I didn't drop any calls. Handsfree tethering to two cars (an Acura and a BMW) were the best of any phone I've used, even compared to the Moto RAZR v3. EDGE 2.5G Internet access was OK in NYC, and a little better in SF.

SF has a big plus with the MUNI and BART mobile web sites. It was neat checking on the timing of the next BART train or Muni bus while waiting at a stop. I wish they could do something like that in my home base of NYC. I couldn't tether the iPhone to my notebook like I can with the MDA, but that's OK, since Safari is the best mobile phone browser I've used yet.

Lack of Flash and Java are the notable minuses for mobile Safari. I was still able to access my office's webmail, many information sites, and a couple of iPhone-optimized sites as well. Calendar and contact functions were as good as any non-smartphone, and synced to Entourage/Outlook, so I was happy there.

As a media player, the iPhone was almost perfect. I say almost, because of that darned recessed headphone jack. I kludged a rough 3-inch headphone extension cable from a headphone extender I got in a dongle for a pair of wireless headphones. This was a usable if awkward solution. Like my colleagues Sascha Segan and Tim Gideon, I enjoyed using the touchscreen interface, and movies looked great on the iPhone's bright semi-wide screen. The one other major nit I could pick about the iPhone is that it is awkward to use in your pocket: there is no tactile feedback like on the nanos' clickwheel, so you can't FF to the next song if your shuffle play picks the wrong song for your current mood. This would be moot if the iPod wired FM remote worked with the iPhone or iPod Touch, but sadly that's not the case.

So overall: iPhone as a Phone (3.5 out of 5), Internet Tablet (3.5 out of 5), native apps (1.5 out of 5, there are none aside from a couple of built in widgets), PDA (4 out of 5), and media player (4.5 out of 5).
The iPod touch is the so-called "iPhone without the phone", and the interface issues are similar to the iPhone. The iPod Touch deletes the iPhone's physical volume controls and speakers, so annoyingly everything on the Touch is done on the touchscreen. It is a brilliant media player, though I wish the speakers were still there for viewing video podcasts and TV shows. Thank goodness the Touch works without a headphone adapter. The iPod Touch also deletes calendar entry, but that's OK, since I use my PDAs to check meetings, not schedule them, Safari is still here, but is limited to WiFi Hotspots. This is the biggest drawback for me, since I like to check things like transit delays on my MDA daily. Having 16GB instead of the 8GB on the iPhone and nano is a nice perk, but not enough for me to shell out $399 for it. If the Touch had a Bluetooth Dial Up Networking profile, I would get that and a 3G Verzion phone with Bluetooth tethering. That would be sweet. (The Nokia N800 internet tablet with a 3G phone is a passable alternative, but unfortunately there aren't enough native apps, and besides, I bought too many iTunes tracks and videos to abandon iPod completely at this point).

iPod Touch rates: Phone (0 out of 5), Internet Tablet (3.0 out of 5), native apps (1 out of 5, just You Tube), PDA (3 out of 5), and media player (4.5 out of 5).

I didn't try out the 80GB and 160GB iPod Classic, because I simply don't need to carry my entire video and music library with me at all times. Also I tend to listen my playlists on shuffle, and hard drive players like the Classics are slower to react than flash players like the nanos and the iPhone/iPod Touch. Besides, the nano 3G and the classic share the same interface.

The iPod nano 3G is an upgrade to my current nano 2G. Apple added video, and changed the shape slightly. They also lowered the price to $199 for 8GB, which is great considering the functionality of the nano 3G. The video quality is excellent, even with such a small screen, though it is better suited to video podcasts and TV shows than full length movies in widescreen. While it has even less calendar and contact functionality than the Touch, this is OK, since the nano would (still) be a companion to my MDA rather than a replacement. Shuffle play on the nano is as good as on previous nanos, which is to say it is excellent. The drawbacks of the Touch aren't present on the nano, because it's more of a shrunk iPod Classic than an iPhone with no Phone.

iPod nano scores: Phone (0 out of 5), Internet Tablet (0 out of 5), native Apps (3 out of 5, games and a few 'extras'), PDA (2 out of 5), media player (5 out of 5).

So who won? Well since the iPhone doesn't have Flash, a usable headphone jack, or 3G or faster data (yet), it is a "wait for version 2.0" situation for me. As it stands right now, the first iPhone isn't quite enough for me to leave T-mobile for AT&T wireless. A 3G data, 16GB iPhone with AT&T (or Verizon) would be enough for me to leave my MDA in the drawer of obsolete tech forever.

The iPod Touch is a really nice media player, but I would have to still carry the MDA for everything else, and that's two bulky devices to carry. Maybe if they included tethering or at least the physical volume controls and the speakers. The choice (if I made it today) is upgrading to the nano 3G, and continuing to use the MDA for phone, mobile Internet, apps, and PDA. The nano is still small enough to ignore in a pocket, and with the video playback, it gets me all the new podcasts and shows I've discovered on this journey. It's also half the price of the iPhone or 16GB Touch, so it's a no-brainer.
source: http://www.gearlog.com/2007/11/iphone_ipod_touch_or_ipod_nano.php
iphone news

Telecom Okta takes tilt at the iPhone

The Okta Touch, priced at $799 at aimed at the consumer market, combines the functions of a camera phone, Windows Mobile 6.0 computer and an MP3 player.

Like the iPhone, it features a touch-screen interface. This lets customers to switch between different applications and scroll through websites, menus and e-mail inboxes by touching and dragging their finger across the screen.

Consumer marketing head David Craig says the Okta Touch is an important addition to Telecom's line-up, "given the buzz overseas around all-in-one touch screen devices."

"Most New Zealanders won't have seen anything like this before."

Unlike the iPhone, the Okta Touch features a removable battery and it can run third party applications, but it does not support WiFi connections.

The phones are made by Taiwanese handset maker HTC.

Telecom is also selling a clamshell version - the Okta Agent - without the touch screen, for $599, and a model with a slide-out keyboard, the Okta Boss.

The phones go on sale on Thursday.
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4261695a28.html
iPhone news

02 gears up its customer services in preparation for iPhone launch

O2 has substantially bulked up its customer service staff ahead of the high-profile launch of Apple's iPhone this week as the mobile operator looks to ensure that consumers that fork out for the expensive handset receive the best possible support.

O2 will add 1,400 staff prior to the launch of the handset on Friday to ensure it can cope with the unprecedented demand for the flashy phone. It will take on around 700 new customer service employees in Glasgow and Leeds, with a further 700 staff added across the company's chain of High Street stores.

O2 and Carphone Warehouse are bracing themselves for a stampede of customers when the iPhone goes on sale at 6pm on Friday.

Carphone Warehouse, which will keep its stores open late to satisfy demand for the touch-screen handset, has said it could sell as many as 10,000 iPhones in the first day alone despite the £279 price tag which comes on top of the contract with O2 that will cost between £35 and £55 a month. O2, which is supplying the handset directly to Carphone Warehouse, has ordered around 200,000 iPhones from Apple to satisfy demand over the Christmas period.

John McGuigan, head of O2's post-pay customer service unit, said that around 200 of the new staff will be dedicated to handling customer calls related to the iPhone, helping to activate and register the user if assistance is required.

He said: "It is very important to get the customer-service experience right."

He added that O2 will work closely with Apple which has already been closely involved with AT&T in the US to support the iPhone there.

Mr McGuigan added that it has also swelled its customer service employee ranks to ensure that its existing customers are not neglected as a result of increased support for the iPhone.

Mr McGuigan said: "We want to provide a fantastic service for people buying the iPhone – that goes without saying. But we also want to make sure existing customers don't suffer as a result of the potential increase in demand for customer support from new iPhone users."

Mr McGuigan said that O2 has also focused on making the online customer-service function as robust as possible, given a lot of iPhone buyers will want to use the internet to resolve any issues they have.

He said: "People will be tethering the device to the computer anyway."

However, the company denied that the ramp-up in customer service staff suggests that some customers may struggle to use the feature-rich device, arguing that the phone is intuitive and easy to use.

As well as being a must-have, albeit it expensive, Christmas stocking filler for fans of technology, the iPhone is likely to give mobile music a further boost.

Whilst Apple's iPod kick-started a surge in the amount of music that people download on to portable MP3 players, the iPhone is expected to raise awareness and stimulate the use of mobile phones designed to play music.

A number of rival services have also been launched recently by the likes of Nokia and MusicStation.
source: http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3129755.ece
iPhone

iPhone customizations and applications

The first tutorial in this series covered using DockSwap to change your iPhone's Dock background, specifically replacing it with one that matches the Dock on the iPod Touch.
This was fine and dandy until yesterday, when a new version of SummerBoard (an app which allows customization of the iPhone's SpringBoard, or home screen) was released. This new version supports themes and various other settings, but most importantly it appears to prevent DockSwap from doing its job. Thankfully, we can now take advantage of SummerBoard's new theme support to set a custom Dock background, home screen wallpaper, or both.
Tips for Editing Your own DisplayOrder.plist
The plist is in binary format - on a mac you can just double click on this file and edit in the Property List Editor or use plutil -convert xml1 DisplayOrder.plist to convert to text version you can edit anywhere (use plutil -convert binary1 DisplayOrder.plist to convert back to binary plist - see plutil man page). Once you are inside the file, It's pretty self explanatory, but you can basically put any app in any position from 0-11 by changing the displayIdentifier variable. The rest of the icons just get shifted down. If you add more than 16 icons, the list does not scroll, however it has been reported that the SpringBoard.app has the ability to scroll more icons, perhaps just not enabled in this version.
The displayIdentifier property under each item in iconList needs to be a string with a value of something like: 'com.apple.mobilesafari' or 'com.apple.DemoApp', or 'com.apple.fieldtest'
Once your happy with your DisplayOrder.plist file put it into the same folder as your iPhoneInterface app, and type these commands in the iphone terminal:
Upload your Modified DisplayOrder.plist
cd /System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/
putfile DisplayOrder.plist
Changing the icons on your main menu
To upload a new icon for the DemoApp:
cd /Applications/DemoApp.app/
putfile icon.png
You can do this for any app, just upload a standard 60x60 png file named icon.png to an app directory.
Skinners get cracking on this!! Lets see if we can create some sweet iPhone icons/skins
source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=671373
iPhone

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Origins of the Apple Iphone

Author: Chris Simpson
Although a detailed history of the development of the Apple iPhone smartphone does not exist yet, analysts and researchers tracing the Apple iPhone’s history have made several educated guesses.

The start of the Apple iPhone might be traced to Apple founder and chief executive officer Steve Jobs decision to do more investigation on touch senstive displays, leading to more interactive tablet computers.

Many have noted the iPhone’s similarity to its predecessor the Newton MessagePad. Although hailed for its groundbreaking handwriting recognition, the Newton was seen by many analysts as one of the leaders in tablet technology, but perhaps it was ahead of its time to find sufficient market acceptance. Nonetheless, there are still Apple enthusiasts still using their Newton tablets to this day.

The Newton was nearly all screen, lacking a keyboard, a similar trait which is to be found in the iPhone. This design feature has been attributed to Apple design head Jonathan Ive.

But Apple did not immediately focus on developing the iPhone, after the launch of the Newton and its successful iMac series of desktop and laptop computers. Instead, it focused its energies on developing the iPod digital music player and the iTunes online music store and community site.

It was only in late 2005 that Apple collaborated with telecom giant Motorola to release the ROKR E1, the first mobile phone to use iTunes.

However, industry insiders say that Steve Jobs felt that the ROKR did not turn out the way he expected. As a result, the Apple and Motorola joint product development did not continue.

Apple meanwhile focused its energies on creating a telecoms device which would play both pictures and video.

Subsequently, it was only at the Macworld convention in early January 2007 that Steve Jobs announced the iPhone, a move that would create an uproar and much expectation in the technology world.

Since then, hundreds of bloggers have posted close to 300,000 blog posts related to the Apple iPhone, which gives an indication of the expected excitment regarding the iPhone’s launch.

Starting with Apple’s memorable “1984? commercial during that year’s Super Bowl, Apple’s products have continued to hold the public captivated and keep them entertained with its unique brand of marketing.

The iPhone looks set to wow on the world stage, just as it has at Apple’s developer conference.

Can the iPhone create a revolution in the cellphone arena?
Link

Features Of Iphone Bluetooth Headset

Author: Roger Thompson
The recently release Apple iPhone has quickly become one of the most desired cellular phones on the market today. With its upgraded technology, the Apple iPhone requires upgraded accessories as well. One of the most popular accessories for the phone is the iPhone Bluetooth headset which allows users to make and receive calls on their iPhone hands-free without any wires to get in the way. This makes the iPhone Bluetooth headset very desirable to many individuals that have purchased the iPhone.

The design of the iPhone Bluetooth headset is simple and compact, adding to its appeal for the general public. The design is simply a black bar that is about 2 inches long with an earpiece in one end and a microphone in the other end close to the mouth. It features a lightweight earpiece that can easily fit in either the left or right ear and stay securely for extended periods of time. It is operated by a single button that allows users to quickly and simply make and receive calls without fumbling with the phone or finding the numbers to dial. The simplicity of the iPhone Bluetooth headset is what makes many individuals eager to purchase it.

The iPhone Bluetooth headset can allow up to 5 hours of talk time before needed to be recharged and can typically recharge to full power within 1 ½ hours. The iPhone Bluetooth headset comes bundled with a docking station that is used to recharge the headset when needed. The docking station is a dual one that can accompany both the iPhone and the iPhone Bluetooth headset that allows both items to fully charge at the same time. This feature is a lifesaver for individuals that travel, as there is only one item to remember to bring to charge the phone and headset, instead of multiple wires and docking stations.

The iPhone Bluetooth headset has a range of 33 feet, allowing the iPhone to be placed on a desk or central location in the home while freeing the user to move around without having the phone on their person. The call clarity of the headset is crystal clear and many individuals cannot tell whether the individual that they have called are using the headset or the phone to speak to them. Having an iPhone Bluetooth headset makes the experience of having an iPhone even better and easier to use.
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Wireless Lotus Notes on your iPhone from CommonTime

Posted by helen
CommonTime announce support for the Apple iPhone following the yesterdays announcement by Steve Jobs co-founder and CEO of Apple that “ we want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an Software Development Kit in developers’ hands in February.”
BOISE, IDAHO and DERBY, UK– October 19, 2007 – CommonTime announce support for the Apple iPhone following the yesterdays announcement by Steve Jobs co-founder and CEO of Apple that “ we want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an Software Development Kit in developers’ hands in February.”
"We can't say how delighted we are to be coming back home to an Apple device, our very first mNotes product was for the Apple Newton back in 1995, we believed in the platform and loved working with Apple back then . We will have a full mNotes5 solution for the iPhone and a desktop synchronization product for the iPod touch available by summer 2008, this will be a true rich mNotes client with high data fidelity and rich functionality that can really capitalize on the unique usability of the iPhone." said CommonTime CEO, Nigel Mackrill.
Celebrating over a decade delivering world class Lotus Notes Mobility software designed exclusively for the IBM lotus Notes /Domino; CommonTime continues to deliver simplicity, data integrity and functionality with the launch of their latest Beta software mNotes5.
mNotes 5 Beta brings information and communication to your fingertips, with enterprise strength security and device management features designed specifically for individual users. mNotes5 is the software for the next generation of Lotus Notes users.
Download Mnotes5 Beta for free and mobilize the best wireless push email, mobile Instant Messaging solution available for Lotus Notes® on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices. For download instructions, Beta release notes, or to learn more about the program, please visit www.commontime.com.
Link

Apple opens iPhone software

By Kevin Allison
APPLE moved yesterday to placate restless software developers by announcing plans to allow software makers to create programs for its iPhone mobile handset.

The announcement marks a change of tack for Apple, which has long resisted opening its products to outsiders in favour of closed systems in which it controls the features loaded on its hardware.

It is likely to spark a flurry of software development as programmers rush to build applications that take advantage of the iPhone's touch-screen interface and its ability to make calls, browse the internet, and store photos and music.

"You're going to get a lot more applications than you would if you have a closed environment," said Van Baker, an Apple analyst at market research group Gartner.

Such applications could include contact management and other business software - a lack of which has limited the iPhone's appeal to corporate customers, who are among the biggest buyers of smartphone handsets.

In a statement on Apple's website, company co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs said it planned to provide a development toolkit to outside programmers by February.

"We are excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of applications for users," Mr Jobs said.

Apple has sold more than 1 million iPhones since the handset was launched in June.
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Sony Co-Prosperity Sphere Plans Defense Against iPhone Invasion

By Rob Beschizza
Sony is, according to electronista, under the impression that all it needs to do to counter the iPhone in Japan is allow MP3 file transfers between walkman-branded Sony Ericsson handsets and non-Sony equipment over local carrier KDDI's network.

If this idea—opening up a platform to a single, arbitrarily-selected industry standard that most users take for granted—is enough to get handset makers sleeping easy at night, then there are two possibilities.

Either (a) Sony still controls portable music in Japan and always will. The iPhone is a flash in the pan that obviously requires only token counter-strategery, or (b) the iPhone has already won the war, because despite being only marginally innovative, it operates in a dimensional plane of otherness that competitor executives are mentally incapable of accessing.

I would love to see a room full of besuited executives debating the revolutionary notion of letting people move MP3 files off the phone. Considering that Sony pissed away its global control of the music-player market by not letting its customers play MP3s at all, perhaps it was a very difficult decision to make.

Regardless, there's only one way to beat the iPhone: make a better device, sell it cheaper, and market it more aggressively. Why do some companies think they can build a future trying to shovel bullshit at a market defined by 18- to 40-year old geeks with high disposable incomes?
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Tired Of Smudges On Your iPhone? Get Phone Fingers

by Elena Malykhina
If there was an award for the strangest iPhone accessory ever invented, it would go to the makers of Phone Fingers, hands down (no pun intended). The latex fingers were created specifically for the iPhone's touch screen to prevent smudges and fingerprints. And no, this is not a joke.

Any iPhone owner will tell you that a major disadvantage of having a touch screen-only phone is the smudge factor. Naturally the screen will reflect everything you touched before navigating through the phone's icons. But I wonder how many people would actually resort to wearing black latex finger shields to keep their iPhone screens clean?

Phone Fingers are sold in a bag that contains 25 pieces, guaranteed to last a long time with multiple usage. They cost 9.90 euros, which translates to about $14. What's even more comical is the fact that they come in different sizes: medium for an average-sized index finger and large or extra large for a thumb.

If you want to see how Phone Fingers look, click here. There's even a YouTube video demonstrating the funny accessory.

While I don't see myself ever roaming the streets of New York with my fingers covered in black latex, Phone Fingers could become a signature mark for the most passionate followers. I have a feeling the makers of this accessory intentionally wanted iPhone users to stand out from the crowd.

So what will people come up with next? Perhaps face gear for those who wear makeup so it doesn't smear all over the iPhone's screen when they're making a call.
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AT&T seen getting an iPhone boost

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - When AT&T Inc. reports third-quarter earnings next week, the nation's largest phone company is expected to show strong growth in its wireless business, fueled by sales of the Apple iPhone.
The July-to-September period represents the first full quarter of iPhone sales. The device only became available exclusively from AT&T in the last two days of the second quarter, when 146,000 subscribers activated an iPhone plan.
Since then, Apple Inc. has said more than 1 million iPhones have been sold.
In the third quarter, AT&T is projected to earn 71 cents a share, excluding onetime costs and benefits, or 52 cents a share on a net basis, according to the consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Revenue is seen reaching $30.12 billion.
AT&T (T:















41.81, -0.12, -0.3%) is slated to issue results on Tuesday morning.
Bear Stearns predicts AT&T will gain a net 1.88 million wireless customers in the third quarter, with Verizon Wireless trailing at an expected 1.62 million. The brokerage said AT&T and Verizon would especially benefit from weakness at Sprint Nextel Corp. (S:
















17.62, -0.10, -0.6%)
Sprint has already said it would lose 337,000 net postpaid customers, putting its losses in that category at more than 1.03 million over the past five quarters. Postpaid subscribers sign up for annual plans and pay at the end of each month. They are considered the most valuable in the industry.
Just a few weeks ago, Bearn Stearns and other brokerages were estimating that AT&T would gain 1.5 million or fewer wireless customers, but most firms have raised their estimates in expectation of higher iPhone shipments. Apple sharply cut the price of the iPhone in early September.
Bear Stearns said about 40% of iPhone buyers are new customers, many of whom came from other mobile carriers. The rest are current AT&T users who upgraded to the iPhone, the brokerage said.
AT&T is the nation's top mobile carrier in terms of subscribers, with 63.7 million at the end of the second quarter. Yet Verizon Wireless, the joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ:















44.97, -0.29, -0.6%) and Vodafone Group
PLC (VOD:















36.01, +0.05, +0.1%) , generates more revenue from its wireless
business.
The iPhone and wireless aside, investors are expected to focus on growth in AT&T's high-speed Internet and fledgling fiber-television segments. They also hope to see improved trends in the company's local-phone division and corporate-services unit.
For the third quarter, AT&T is forecast to add more than 70,000 customers to its TV service, called U-Verse. The service has more than 100,000 customers and AT&T is rolling it out quickly, but the company faces huge competitors in the cable and satellite industries.
Over the past months the market has been rife with speculation that AT&T might acquire a satellite-TV business - Echostar Communications Inc. or DirecTV - to jumpstart its entry into the television business.
AT&T is making a push into the video market to counter the cable industry's move into the phone business. Every quarter AT&T is losing local-phone customers to cable companies that operate in its territory.
Investors would like to see line losses begin to slow. AT&T could see a 4.1% decline year over year in the number of residential lines in service, BMO Capital Markets forecast.
In the high-speed market, AT&T could add between 400,000 and 500,000 customers, Wall Street firms predict.
Jeffry Bartash is a reporter for MarketWatch in Washington.
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What the iPhone SDK means for open source

Posted by Dana Blankenhorn
In a purely technical sense, news that Apple will offer an iPhone software development kit and allow third-party applications is not an open source story.

This is still a proprietary platform.

But with this move Jobs is admitting that the iPhone is a computer platform, thus subject to computer rules, and that is an important move.

It means the absolute device control AT&T and the other U.S. carriers have exercised must give way. It means that the iPhone is not a phone, and that’s what its competitors, such as the coming GPhone, will be as well.

So what we have is a tipping point, from mobile voice to mobile data. One that will change public attitudes. While people can accept “it’s the network” as an excuse for maintaining voice reliability, they know better when it comes to data.

They have the Internet, the “network of networks,” not (supposedly) under any one carrier’s control, offering fixed monthly service pricing, a comparative gob of bandwidth, with voice as just one of many low-bandwidth applications.

Consumer demand is going to move in this way. Apple’s decision was really defensive, a way to forestall bigger market share losses to Google.

So far AT&T’s contract concessions have been minimal, and the phone has been highly profitable, grabbing market share from rival T-Mobile, forcing Sprint into a limp response, putting pressure on Verizon.

But as mobile service is increasingly defined by the device makers, and mobile devices are increasingly data-driven, can the carriers retain their monopoly control? I doubt it.

In a way, Apple and Google are playing a good-cop, bad-cop routine on the carriers, with Apple as the good cop (you don’t want to be sued) and Google as the bad cop (we’re just going to ignore you).

On TV, suspects who are subjected to this routine eventually crack. Will the carriers?
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