Iphone Updates

Google Reader is a hot ticket for iPhone and iPod Touch users lately. We saw a native attempt at Google Reader, which worked quite well actually. There is just nothing like the real thing though right? So here it is, Google has finally brought full support of its RSS reader, Google Reader, to the mobile Safari browser. The service says it is still in beta, but it seems to be working very well.

“This new version is designed to offer many of the same features as the desktop, while making it quick and easy to act on items. If you’ve used list view, then it should be familiar to you. Scan the titles for an item that interests you, tap and it expands in place. Starring, sharing, and keeping unread are done in place, so you never have to leave the list view or refresh the page. We think it’s a very fast way to power through your reading list.” - Google Reader Blog

The application looks to bring a more desktop like Google Reader experience to the mobile Safari browser. To access the new Google Reader, just visit http://www.google.com/reader/i/ on your iPhone or iPod Touch. The service is still in beta and you will not be redirected to that page just by visiting Reader, so bookmark it for future use.

[Via Google Reader Blog]

Though Vodafone has already announced its plans to sell the iPhone in Australia (amongst other countries), Apple seems to be continuing its new non-exclusive strategy by announcing that Optus will also be selling the iPhone. An Apple spokesperson said the company is “excited to be working with SingTel, Globe and Optus to bring the iPhone to Australia later this year, and we can’t wait to get this revolutionary phone in the hands of even more people around the world.”…

According to the WIRED blog, Luigi Licciardi, a VP at Italia Mobile, the company will be selling a 3G iPhone next month…

I haven’t got round to installing the latest iPhone firmware yet, but reports suggest that it reveals more evidence for a 3G iPhone…

If you’re about to run to your local Apple or AT&T store to snag up a new black iPhone, let me save you a trip. I just received and email from AT&T representative with the following quote:

“The reference to “iPhone Black” was simply a temporary placeholder used over the weekend for a scheduled catalog update. It was meant to temporarily distinguish the various iPhone models-4GB, 8GB and 16GB-but was never reassigned. It should be corrected on the site by now.”  Brad Mays, PR for AT&T.

This is actually kind of silly from my perspective. I apologize if our previous articles here and here got your hopes up. At lease now you know for sure.

What a mismatched pair you are Apple and AT&T. Apple can hold a secret until the last minute, and AT&T somehow manages to leak things weeks if not months before they go down. True to form, AT&T has shown on their site, the option to select the ‘iPhone Black’ as your device. I could not verify if the option is still up, but here is the screen shot proof.

The discovery further helps to substantiate the rumors that the 3G iPhone will come in a gloss black case. While we would not put it past Apple to be releasing a limited edition of the current iPhone, it does not seem likely. This could be the 3G iPhone, showing up in the shadows of AT&T’s website, and taunting us with it’s potentially sooner-than-we-think release date.

With the 3G iPhone being rumored to potentially drop before WWDC, this could be AT&T and Apple getting ready to drop this on us. It is rumored that Apple and AT&T will not make a big deal about the launch, and if the 3G iPhone sneaks its way onto AT&T’s site, that falls in line with the rumor. With the attention this story is getting, AT&T will surely remove the ‘iPhone Black’ option from their site soon, if they don’t, then we may have ourselves a launch party soon.

[Via AppleInsider]

Finally, the last supplies of legal iPhones have dried up in both the UK and US. Last week it seemed pretty clear that O2 had run out of iPhones despite their rather strange splash page, but the Apple Store was still selling both 8GB and 16GB models…

Everyone’s favorite way to share mixtapes online has just become iPhone friendly. Muxtape, is now fully compatible with the the iPhone’s browser. To use the service on the iPhone, just navigate along, and when you select a track to play, Safari will play it just as if it was a normal MP3 file.

Muxtape provides a simple way to share mixtapes with other people across the web. Users can subscribe to another users RSS feed of mixtapes in iTunes. When new music drops you then have the option to listen to it. You of course can upload your own mixtapes, and if you are lucky other people will subscribe and listen to your music too.

You can use the new Safari friendly Muxtape now, just head over to their website at muxtape.com. Now Muxtape has an even broader audience. Porting web applications to Safari seems like it is starting to become a trend, just me?

[Via Gear Diary]

X-OOM has announced the availability of its “Movies on iPod 2″ software, allowing iPod and iPhone users to watch films on the go. It’s able to encode video from a wide range of other formats including DVD, SVCD, VCO, DivX, AVI, WMV, MPEG, and FLV…

GizMac has announced two new colours for its Titan Clear iPhone cases, now available in cobalt blue and emerald green, both of which can exhibit other subtle tones depending upon the lighting conditions…

Recently, a rumor was circulating that we would see the iPhone pre-WWDC, and that in it’s place at WWDC, we would be seeing a new, mystery device. The common consensus, is, and has been for quite some time now, that we would be seeing the 3G iPhone at WWDC. Furthermore, the common consensus is there is no mystery device.

It begs the question, what is this mystery device? Well, it is speculated that it could be the long awaited tablet Mac that has been making its way around the rumor mill for quite some time now. Not much is known about this device, but there are a few bits of rumored specifications floating around. These include a 720×480 multi touch screen, and will be about 50% larger than the iPhone.

It seems, that it is entirely possible that Apple will not make a bug deal out of the 3G iPhone launch. To us, it is a big deal, but to most it is just a product update. It happens all the time, phones get upgraded, that is just how it works. So is Apple going to just be chill about the 3G iPhone, and give us an exciting new device? We will know soon enough. iTablet, anyone?

[Via MacRumors]

This week started off slow as far as iPhone news, but by the end of the week, things had picked up considerably. A very interesting piece of information was found in the Network.plist file of the latest beta of iPhone firmware 2.0. The option to toggle 3G on and off. It is suggested that the preference will not show up on EDGE only devices, and that is what we would figure.

The ongoing flip flopping of the AT&T free WiFi continues. This is the second time the free WiFi has been pulled. AT&T is saying that the listing on their website showing the WiFi access was a human error. This is the 4th human error then apparently. When will the craziness end?

There is some serious iPhone shortages going around the last few days. There are no iPhones left in the U.K. or the online Apple store. The shortage is rumored to be Apple preparing for the 3G iPhone by clearing the shelves of the current stock.

Pictures of what is rumored to be the 3G iPhone surfaced on a phone forum based in China. In th photos, the device is glossy white, as opposed to the rumored glossy black. The device fits the description of the rumored dimensions. It is larger in the middle than at the sides, and the bottom is redesigned to fit the rumored dimensions.

The 5th beta of the iPhone SDK was released this week.  It was not immediately known what improvements there were, but we have a small list now. Some of the new features that were found include the option for push email. It is the smallest SDK yet, weighing in at only 1.08GB. There were some minor changes to certain libraries as well.

We round out the week in review with the news of the Installer application getting an update. The update brings application search to Installer. Although as of now the search function needs a little improvement, it is a good idea and is very useful.

iPhone fans in the U.K. are not the only ones that are experiencing a severe lack of iPhone stock. It is starting to affect people all over now, with stores in New York, and the online Apple store, also reporting being out of stock. This image is the status over at the Apple Store online. It is not known when, or if, the iPhone is going to be back in stock.

As you are no doubt aware, the rumor for Apple allowing the shelves to clear of the current iPhone, could be to allow the upcoming 3G iteration to have all the room it needs. This makes sense, as then carriers and the Apple store will have the newest iPhone to sell, and that one only. The rumored announcement date for the 3G iPhone is at WWDC, with the actual launch rumored to be sometime near the end of June.

WWDC is still about a month away though, so this seems like it is pretty early. Perhaps Apple did not intend for the stock to run out this quickly? Apple has given no word on what is going on with these shortages, and most likely only they know. Apple could also be attempting to keep the peace with customers. If they buy an iPhone now, and the new one comes out, they are not going to be happy. Apple has already made them mad once, with the price cuts. iPhone early adopters were angered to the point that Apple had to provide a $100 gift card to all of them. It seems Apple would not care for a repeat performance.

[Via Gizmodo]

Ok, lets all just wait a minute before we get too into this one. There are a few sources saying this is all, and it almost completely unconfirmed. This image is what the preference would look like on the screen. It is claimed, that this information was located in the Network.plist file, that controls and saves preferences for the network settings on the iPhone.

Though it seems wild, the information could just turn out to be true. This dump of Network.plist clearly shows references to 3G. It is said that the preference will not show up on EDGE iPhones, but will in the 3G enabled iPhone. It says if by mistake this preference shows up on a EDGE only iPhone, the device will crash.

Note that this is not fake, it is in the beta 5 .ipsw, but will normally not show up on an EDGE iPhone. Turning 3G on will just crash the phone if you use an EDGE phone. If you do not believe me, then decrypt the beta5 rootfs dmg, and see for yourself in /Applications/Preferences.app/Network.plist

[Via iPhone Alley]

AT&T have finally spoken up on the puzzle of their on-again, off-again inclusive WiFi offer.  According to spokesperson Fletcher Cook, the posting of the offer on AT&T’s site was “a human error.”  However, it apparently echoes the carrier’s long-time intention to offer free WiFi to iPhone and other WiFi-equipped devices.

“Our Wi-Fi network is a great way of differentiating the AT&T network and giving customers another reason to choose us over a competitor” Fletcher Cook, AT&T

However Cook would not confirm when the offer would be officially unveiled, and interviewer Saul Hansell of the NYT didn’t push him on why, if the first time was a mistake, it was then added again before being rapidly pulled.  The consensus at the time was that AT&T were having problems limiting access solely to the iPhone.  Many users discovered that they could, by changing their browser’s UserAgent string and entering an authentic iPhone number, get free WiFi without being iPhone owners.

After iPhone shortages in the UK, it’s now the turn of the US to experience supply problems.  According to the online Apple store, both the 8GB and 16GB models are “Currently Unavailable”.  There’s no indication of whether this is merely a case of stock mis-management or a sign that a new iPhone is fast approaching.

Current expectations for the 3G iPhone were that it would launch in at least a month’s time.  However Apple usually manages their stock well so that end-of-line products are available pretty much up to the arrival of the new model.  And, unlike in the UK, there’s been no dramatic price-cut to spur on sales.

Apple, obviously, aren’t saying anything right now.  There’s every chance that AT&T stores and physical Apple stores still have stock, so if you particularly want a first-gen iPhone you’ll likely be able to get one.  However personally I’d be waiting for the 3G model, which could be closer than we think.

[via Engadget]

The day has finally come, a racing game that utilizes the iPhone’s accelerometer. Raging Thunder is available now for download via Installer, and while it is in it’s early stages, the game is looking very promising. Not only does it use the accelerometer to control the game, but there are several methods of play available as well.

For whatever reason, you can not play the game with the iPhone tilted horizontally. It is not as if it is impossible to play if it has to be vertical, it just seems that it would be much easier if you could tilt the iPhone, and play while it is on its side. The controls are very sensitive, it does not take much of a tilt to slam your car into the side rail. It also appears that there is no way to control the amount of gas, at least that I could see from the video.

The game is absolutely packed with bugs. Just during the short video demo, there were multiple freezes. Also, the screen lost responsiveness at least twice. Though there are some issues and annoyances to take care of, this game looks like quite some fun, and hopefully is prepared for a more complete release soon.

[Via TUAW]

The pictures and rumors just refuse to stop pouring in about the highly anticipated 3G iPhone. Here are the latest round of them, which originated on a Chinese phone forum. The pictures of the device are in glossy white, which is the opposite of the rumors we have heard, which state the the 3G iPhone should be coming in a glossy black flavor.

Some of the first things you will notice about these photographs are that they are a perfect match to the rumored device dimensions and specifications leaked recently. The changes to the bottom, are perhaps the most telling. Also, the device is clearly larger in the middle than at the sides, which also complies with the rumors of the device specifications.

As for the different colors though, that is not as easily explained. Though the rumors say it will be black, that itself is just a rumor and could turn out to be not true, and this could maybe turn out to be the color for all we know. Also, there could be multiple colors, which can never hurt. We see this with Apple a lot, especially in the iPod and MacBook families.

[Via TUAW]

If anyone can decipher AT&T’s stance on iPhone WiFi, please let me know.  The carrier has again pulled inclusive WiFi from the iPhone contract, after briefly reinstating it.  No comment from AT&T as to the reason for the change, but it’s presumed that they’re still having problems limiting the WiFi access solely to Apple’s cellphone.

When AT&T first added the WiFi offer, at the beginning of May, it was found that owners of other devices could access the service without necessarily having an iPhone themselves.  Instead, by faking their browser’s user agent string and putting in a friend’s iPhone number, they could use any cellphone or laptop.  AT&T yanked the service a few days later.

After its brief reappearance yesterday, we’re uncertain whether AT&T will offer WiFi again.  Interestingly, the UK version of the iPhone was sold with free WiFi access from launch, partly to make up for carrier O2’s developing EDGE data network.

Gizmodo has published a cool video showing a prototype driving game called Raging Thunder, which makes the most of the iPhone’s accelerometer and graphical abilities. Despite the fact there are a few glitches at present the game looks very promising, not only for its own sake but for the possibility of getting other top-class games onto the platform

OtterBox is feeling charitable (not to anyone who hates pink gadget accessories, mind you) by launching a pink version of their Defender iPhone cases to raise money for the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade…

Mophie has received the coveted “Works With iPhone” badge for its Juice Pack Battery Extender, making it an official accessory for keeping your iPhone alive that bit longer. In fact, it boasts up to 8 hours additional talk time, 24 hours audio playback, 7 hours of video playback, and 6 hours of Internet playback, plus 250 hours of standby time…

Yesterday I reported that O2 had run out of stock of both the 8GB and 16GB models. It seems that’s not quite true. Either an iPhone-hating O2 employee was let loose on Photoshop and had too much fun typing “8GB…

The free WiFi at AT&T hotspots for the iPhone has been an interesting and on going saga. It has been confusing, with AT&T allowing free WiFi access, then just as fast, taking it away. Either way, it is back now, and more than that, it is official. Hopefully this time it is here to stay.

It seems that now, the access to the WiFi is included with iPhone plans. That is about as official as it can get, and in light of this, it is most likely you will not see AT&T disable it again. It is still not known if AT&T will deploy extra security measures, as anyone with a little know how can get free WiFi on there laptop using this offering.

The service is available at all of the 17,000 AT&T hot spots in the U.S. To use the service, all you have to do is connect to the hot spot using your iPhone. You will be presented with a screen that will ask you for your phone number. The number must be linked to a valid AT&T account, that has an iPhone active on it. This means that people with a jailbroken iPhone can not use the service. That is unless of course they have a buddy with an iPhone on AT&T.

[Via Mac Rumors]

Some interesting job descriptions posted on Apple’s international websites have been revealed. It would appear, that Apple is possibly seeking individuals to do some field testing of their new wonder device. The listing have popped up in more than one location, with the listing for Australia, as well as the U.K.

The listings call for someone who “technical understanding and experience with GSM/GPRS, EDGE, CDMA and UMTS”. Interesting, as the iPhone does not use CDMA. They could be talking about W-CDMA, but that is what UMTS is based off, and why be redundant. The first three listed are what we know in the current iPhone.

We do not know how long it has been up, just that since it is up, it is still available obviously. The listing in the U.K. is even more specific. In Germany Apple is looking for someone who “will apply his/her detailed technical knowledge of wireless standards (3G, Wi-Fi) to understand, prioritize and resolve issues found during certification”. It just may be possible there are some people out there that are packing a 3G iPhone, getting the device thoroughly tested in preparation for launch.

[Via RegHardware]

It seems clear that O2’s recent iPhone price cut has done the trick of clearing out stock. Visit the O2 Store’s iPhone page and you’ll be greeted with a splash page that simply reads “8GB and 16GB iPhone: iPhone no longer available”…

DJ Nitrogen has announced its new Ringtone Lab for the iPhone, which claims it’s possible to legally share ringtone creations with other users of the software. That’s because, instead of sharing the actual audio files, users create a “ringtone recipe” which contains the data that defines the ringtone - start, stop, fade, etc. Other users can only use ringtone data for the music tracks they already own…

Hands up who isn’t expecting Steve Jobs to announce the 3G iPhone at the WWDC in June? If you need a little more “evidence” (OK, rumour) to fuel that fire, how about a leaked email from AT&T which asks employees not to take holiday between 15th June and 12th July…

A little light has been shed on what exactly Apple has planned for P.A. Semi, that is recently acquired for $278 million. It is rumored that prior to this acquisition, Apple had invested in P.A. Semi back in 2005. You will remember back in 2005, Apple switched from PowerPC to Intel chips. At the time P.A. Semi was operating with a PPC license, and it is assumed that Apple had come to them to manufacture low power PPC chips for there Mac lineup.

It seems that Apple again has their eye on P.A. Semi, but it does not answer the question of why they bought them. It would appear that P.A. Semi had acquired a little obligatory debt, that Apple paid off, and brought P.A. Semi under Apple’s control. Now Apple has access to all of P.A. Semi’s intellectual property and patents, and to Apple they must have been worth the cash.

Apple’s plans behind the acquisition are foggy. They want P.A. Semi not for a product that they currently design, but for their experience. Apple most likely will use P.A. Semi to design a chip for a new portable device, as it is very unlikely they would switch CPU architectures again for the Mac line. Unfortunately, we will just have to wait and see.

[Via MacRumors]

More information has been revealed about the latest iPhone firmware and SDK build. The latest build is called 5a274D. The new firmware was released on Tuesday, no warning was given, and it has taken a while for details to pour in. We finally have them though, and it seems there has been some significant changes to the build.

The latest build of the SDK is much smaller than previous builds. It weighs in at only 1.08GB. It has been suggested the reason is that lots of redundant code was removed. There has been some changes to the API as well. Namely the address book API, and the Embedded Apple Graphic Library. These changes suggest that applications will need to be re written to take advantage of the new libraries.

There is some evidence that suggests that push email will be in the 2.0 firmware. The latest build, revealed a toggle on/off option for a setting named “Use Push Mail”. You can also still opt to have your iPhone fetch your mail at a predefined interval. It is not known all the services that will be able to be pushed, one though is Yahoo! Mail.

[Via iPhone Hacks]

Sprint is making good on their promise to spend $100 million to promote their new iPhone competitor, the Samsung Instinct. The advertisements start running on May 9th, but the commercials are now available to view on YouTube. The advertisements very obviously take aim at the iPhone, with some shots showing the two devices side by side.

The advertisements leverage the EV-DO and true GPS that are packed into the Instinct. Sprint is hoping to use that comparison to convince people to buy the Instinct and not the iPhone. Someone should tell Sprint that the 3G iPhone, which could very well have GPS, will pack those features. No doubt Sprint’s Rev. A is fast, but so is HSDPA.

The advertisement conveniently leaves out the obvious fact that the iPhone has more screen real estate, and that it has a capacitive touch screen. The Instinct will no doubt be a good phone, but it will just not be the same appeal and wonder that the iPhone brings. So if you were looking for a tried and true iPhone killer, the Instinct is close, but alas no cigar.

[Via Gizmodo]

AT&T has let the cat out of the bag yet again this year. A memo revealed this morning shows that AT&T is preparing for something, something big. The same thing happened last year before the launch of the original iPhone. Basically, the memo outlines that from June 15th to July 12th, all vacations should be rescheduled, and no new ones will be approved.

All rumors point to this time period as being the release date for the 3G iPhone. The question is though, is AT&T preparing for the launch of the new iPhone? The answer is quite possibly yes. This excerpt shows that they are talking about the same time last year, and that there is an opportunity to benefit from an exciting new product.

“Last year at this time we asked that all vacations be scheduled before June 15 or after July 15, to ensure adequate store staffing and to give everyone an equal opportunity to benefit from an exciting product launch. Thanks to your hard work, we experienced excellent sales during the mid-summer period. This year, the numbers you produced in 2007 will be hard to beat; but as a business, we must rise to the challenge, and make every effort to exceed last year’s sales results. Your management team is counting on you!”

The memo tells AT&T employees that they can expect there sales to soar. No kidding. We will all have to wait until WWDC though. AT&T may not be very good at keeping secrets, but I know another company starting with an ‘A’ that is.

[Boy Genius Report Via TUAW]

Hands up who isn’t expecting Steve Jobs to announce the 3G iPhone at the WWDC in June? If you need a little more “evidence” (OK, rumour) to fuel that fire, how about a leaked email from AT&T which asks employees not to take holiday between 15th June and 12th July…

Hands up who isn’t expecting Steve Jobs to announce the 3G iPhone at the WWDC in June? If you need a little more “evidence” (OK, rumour) to fuel that fire, how about a leaked email from AT&T which asks employees not to take holiday between 15th June and 12th July…

Nothing spectacular has been updated in Apple’s fifth iPhone SDK beta, released today. It’s a bug-fixing exercise, with support for the latest iPhone OS. No doubt you have plenty of broadband bandwidth to download all these updates. iPhone Developer page

News is extremely limited at the moment, but TUAW reports that another version of the iPhone SDK and iPhone firmware have been released by Apple, and are available now to download. The news is still coming in from the developers that have gotten a hold of the new firmware and SDK.

The new SDK weighs in at just under 1GB. This makes it less of a bandwidth headache for the developers. We are waiting for more details to come in now. Check back as we update this post, with all of the latest details about this unexpected update.

[Via TUAW]

Austrian newspaper Der Standard is saying that T-Mobile has confirmed the 3G iPhone for Austria. The report goes on to say that T-Mobile’s press conference states the device will be here soon. We all knew that though didn’t we? It is reported that Austria will be a test market. Meaning they will be one of the first to get their hands on the 3G version of the iPhone.

This would definitely not be a repeat performance, as the iPhone only reached Austria a few months ago officially. Austria is a great place for 3G, as it is covered well with the technology. Also, the prices for 3G plans in Austria are very affordable. 3G devices are discounted steeply there. This combination makes Austria an ideal location for 3G devices.

When asked, T-Mobile’s reply on the matter was “yes, we plan to bring the iPhone with UMTS support to market, but can’t and are not allowed to say when yet.” There you have it, another 3G iPhone rumor to keep us entertained until the real deal drops. Until then here is the article, for those of you that read Austrian that is.

[Via I4U]

Austrian newspaper Der Standard is saying that T-Mobile has confirmed the 3G iPhone for Austria. The report goes on to say that T-Mobile’s press conference states the device will be here soon. We all knew that though didn’t we? It is reported that Austria will be a test market. Meaning they will be one of the first to get their hands on the 3G version of the iPhone.

This would definitely not be a repeat performance, as the iPhone only reached Austria a few months ago officially. Austria is a great place for 3G, as it is covered well with the technology. Also, the prices for 3G plans in Austria are very affordable. 3G devices are discounted steeply there. This combination makes Austria an ideal location for 3G devices.

When asked, T-Mobile’s reply on the matter was “yes, we plan to bring the iPhone with UMTS support to market, but can’t and are not allowed to say when yet.” There you have it, another 3G iPhone rumor to keep us entertained until the real deal drops. Until then here is the article, for those of you that read Austrian that is.

[Via I4U]

Installer has just received an update. The new version of Installer supports searching for applications from within the program. It sure took it’s sweet time, but finally, it is here. Finally is indeed right, as Installer has been around for quite some time now. It is looking pretty good right now, but there are a few minor quirks that need to be sorted out.

One minor annoyance is that you have to select a sub category to use the search function. Why it is not implemented in the top level application directory is not clear. Maybe to save on resources while searching through all those applications? Also, it seems that is does not show applications that you have already installed. Not a big deal, but a little odd.

The update to Installer is available now. Next time you fire up Installer, you should be prompted to update. It is a great idea to implement in the Installer, as there are so many applications floating around now days. Hopefully those two trivial annoyances are taken care of in a future update.

[Via Just Another iPhone Blog]

Vodafone have issued a short press release confirming that they will be selling the iPhone in ten markets later on this year.  These will include Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.  Previous sources had tipped the Indian deal, but this is a significant step for the carrier overall.

Prior to the launch of the iPhone in Europe, Vodafone was heavily tipped to be a key player.  It was a surprise, then, when O2, Orange and T-Mobile ended negotiations with the all-important UK, French and German distribution deals.  Vodafone later took T-Mobile Germany to the courts claiming their exclusive deal was “anticompetitive“.

While nothing is confirmed, the fact that the list Vodafone have released contains no markets in which the iPhone is presently sold suggests that either negotiations there are still ongoing or, perhaps more likely, that the existing carriers have been given - and taken - first refusal on the 3G iPhone.

Press Release:

Vodafone to Offer Apple’s iPhone in Ten Markets
06 May 2008

Vodafone today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in ten of its markets around the globe. Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network. 

The Associated Press have launched a localized news service for the iPhone.  The system, which also works with other mobile devices, uses a ZIP code to bring stories from 107 big-name partnerships, including The Miami Herald and the San Francisco Chronicle.  Supported by adverts, revenue will be shared, in part, between content providers.

National news will also be offered from AP’s sources.  However the group is concentrating on local stories to differentiate it from rival aggregators such as Google News and Yahoo! News.  The bulk of the content providers have signed up since AP’s first announcement of their intention, back on April 14th; then, they only had six newspaper companies on board.

The AP confirmed that they had consulted Apple on how best to tailor the service for the iPhone, but said that the company had had no “formal role” with the product.  Further news content providers are apparently considering whether to participate.  They include Gannett Co. and Tribune Co.

[via TechCrunch]

The new iPhone firmware is going to bring many magical things to the iPhone loving masses. We all know that, and there is no doubt about it. This little gem though, makes it even sweeter. There are rumors, that the latest build of the iPhone SDK, suggests that handwriting recognition may be included in the 2.0 firmware. Unfortunately, as of now at least, it is not for English.

Yes, oddly enough the ability is only supported for Chinese. While it is not confirmed the ability actually even exists. According to one source, the new iPhone firmware, build 5A258F, has several Chinese input methods. It is rumored, that one method is this fabled handwriting recognition. If the feature does come to fruition, hopefully it will make it to an English version.

Handwriting recognition for the iPhone presents one major problem. The iPhone, does not use, or support a stylus. This is because the iPhone uses a capacitive touch screen, and not a resistive touch screen, such as is found on Windows Mobile devices. While it would not be a far leap to write on the screen with a finger, it would be a different experience to say the least. Hey, it is a step in the right direction though.

[Via iPhone Alley]

Bad news for iPhone users that enjoy hanging out at the local Starbucks. It seems that the free WiFi for the iPhone courtesy of AT&T, has been disabled. No explanation was given, just working one minute, not working the next. Also, there was no mention when, or if, the WiFi offering would be back. Wow, that was some short lived high speed love from AT&T.

ion

While the above screen, minus the ‘no circle’, greeted iPhone subscribers in Starbucks locations just two days ago, it is gone now. When signing in now, users must enter a password. As of now, no one has came forward with the password. As such, we must assume only AT&T knows it. I wish I could say the service will be back soon, but unfortunately, only AT&T knows that as well.

The service could have been disabled so AT&T could figure out a better way to secure it. All it took to access it was an AT&T iPhone number, and an iPhone user agent string. A user agent is easy to fake, and I am sure most people have a buddy with an iPhone on AT&T. Realizing this, AT&T could have taken away access for now. All we can do it cross our fingers that this is all temporary.

[Via Gear Diary]

It’s that time again. Sunday morning can mean only one thing, week in review. This week has been full of 3G iPhone rumors, new software, and even a new Goldstriker iPhone. While it has not been a terribly active week for iPhone news, there is still some exciting things that have gone down. Hold tight while we update you on the last week for iPhone Buzz.

As far as software goes on the iPhone, Sun discussed porting Java to the iPhone. According to the CEO of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, Java will be in the future of the iPhone. He noted that there are no technical problems getting Java ported, however there could be some problems with Apple’s EULA. Either way, he seems optimistic about the process.

Java is not the only software related news that came about this weekend. McAfee’s anti virus software for the iPhone was leaked. At first, it seemed the software was a fake, and was not made by McAfee. It was later shown that it was software by McAfee, but it was a proof of concept. The official word is they do not yet know if they will bring this software to the iPhone. They did say they are pleased with the community reaction.

The folks at Goldstriker are up to it again. This time with a Lamborghini themed iPhone. The device itself is a 16GB iPhone, running with 1.1.4 firmware. I don’t know, I kind of like it. Maybe a little over the top, but hey, you only live once. The price tag on this special edition iPhone is just under $1500.

A image of what is rumored to be the 3G iPhone surfaced this week. The device, actually bears resemblance to the LG Vu on AT&T. The back looks very scuffed up. Why allow the hottest discussed device to get all messed up like that? It seems very unlikely, that this is the new iPhone. The photo is at the top of this post; you decide!.

It is also rumored that the specifications and dimensions of the new iPhone have been leaked to accessory manufacturers. This is not confirmed, but it is possible. It makes sense, as then the new iPhone would have all sorts of cases and accessories at launch. I guess we will know for sure when the device launches. Until then, unless a manufacturer steps up and says this is true and can prove it, this one is done.

Apple fans in Canada finally have something to get excited over. The iPhone will be making it’s way to Rogers by the end of the year. This information comes right from Ted Rogers, the president and CEO of he carrier. All that was said is “it is coming”, and to “stay tuned”. Details are very few at the moment. In reality, only Apple and Rogers know for sure.

In a sit down with Jonathan Schwartz, the CEO of Sun Microsystems, Engadget Mobile’s Ryan Block discussed the process of porting the Java platform to the iPhone. Overall, Schwartz seems very confident that Java is going to be in the future for the iPhone. He says they are having no problems on the technical side of things, but may face a few on the legal side.

“Well I think the only difficulty will be what Apple presents through its EULA. But I think that I think EULA is a bit of an oxymoron to me. They’re end users, they have the freedom to choose what they’d like to do, so I think we are going to leave it up to users to decide how they want to use the technology.” -Jonathan Schwartz, CEO Sun Microsystems

While bringing Java to the iPhone is obviously a huge ambition for Sun, they do not know when they will be able to deliver. Schwartz did emphasize they they have “redoubled the focus and activity”, that this is not “simple stuff”, and that it takes companies time to get these kind of things to the public. He touched on the fact that there are countless Java applications out there, and that bringing them to the iPhone presents developers with more opportunity. Really, the whole interview conveyed a very deep concern for the interest of developers by Schwartz.

Schwartz became an iPhone owner himself recently, and says that he is liking it. Maybe with an iPhone himself he will have the process of getting Java to the iPhone expedited. It will take as long as it takes I guess, but hey you never know.

[Via Engadget Mobile]

McAfee’s anti virus solution for the iPhone, called Stinger, would be the first of the of it’s kind. A version of it was leaked to the public recently, and the official statement from McAfee is that the software is a proof of concept and is not ready for the public to use yet. This is very clear when you consider the application was not built with the SDK, and would have to be written over again for use on iPhones using the SDK.

Though McAfee has not announced any plans to follow through and actually get this software out the door, they are pleased with the reaction they have gotten from the iPhone community. All this means that contrary to earlier reports that said this software could be malicious, it seems that is not the case. Either way, be careful, as leaked software has a tendency to become infested with malware.

To some, it may seem that it is not necessary to have anti virus on the iPhone, or mobile phones in general for that matter. This is not true, the iPhone firmware 1.1.1 was jailbroken and subsequently unlocked thanks to an exploit, that with anti virus software may not have worked. While that was a case where the exploit was good, it could have just the same been used to execute malicious code. With mobile phones becoming more and more advanced, you will surely be seeing more of this type of software.

[Via WinAndMac]

More hints about the appearance of the 3G iPhone have been leaked. Though the information is not confirmed, there is still an image floating around that possibly depicts the dimensions and shape of the new iPhone. This image is more of a blueprint. It is rumored that this picture was leaked to iPhone accessory manufacturers, so they could begin preparing accessories for the device ahead of time.

This image depicts quite a few valuable specifications about the new iPhone. First, it is clear it tapers off at the sides. This means it is thicker in the center of the device, then at the sides of the device. We can also see that the screen size is not going to change. It is clear that the speakers are going to be changed into larger holes as opposed to a grille. The dock connector, for whatever reason, is now rounded at the edges.

Now for that last window. It lists ‘color options’. Of these there are black and white. Ok, that is normal and expected. Wait, but what is that off maroon colored one? Well, it could be part of Apple’s PRODUCT(RED) initiative, we have seen iPods in this dress before. There is an unknown new sensor on the new iPhone. It is assumed this could be a second lower resolution camera, possibly for video chat or video calls.

[Via iLounge]

Could this be the next-gen iPhone?  French site iPhon.fr received these images from a source described as “unverified and anonymous”, which never fills you with too much confidence, but the handset is similar in size, color and shape to what’s been predicted for the 3G update.  Going by this image, there’s no flash for the rear-mounted camera, and the back plate already looks pretty scuffed.

Of course, with basically no validation it’s entirely possible that this could be a Photoshop effort or some other fake.  Several people have already suggested that, in size, and shape, it looks a lot like LG’s Vu.  The Apple logo on the back has also come in for some criticism, with the primary doubt being that it looks slightly crooked.

Photo editing?  Fake handset?  Let us know whether you’re convinced - and, if you are, whether you prefer this or the first-gen iPhone - in the comments.

[via Engadget]