All Apple iPhone

iPhone 3G - Whiz and MobileMe Oh My

2008-06-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Apple held it's Worldwide Developers' Conference in San Francisco yesterday and unveiled the oft rumored and now official iPhone 3G with GPS alongside new price structures and a "push service for the rest of us" to mimic the effectiveness of Microsoft Exchange packaged as MobileMe.

Over the course of several posts I will look to describe the myriad of new features and services unveiled at the first ever sold out WWDC starting with the software feature set of the new iPhone 2.0 software.

As Jobs explained in his keynote address there were several key factors the folks in Cupertino were hoping to address in the new updated iPhone. These included:

3G + GPS
Enterprise Support
Third Party Applications
More Countries
Lower Price

They have nailed them all down tight and then some.

3G + GPS

The new 3G iPhone provides a faster data download rate (about 2.5 times faster) while preserving battery life - setting a new standard in both 3G content delivery speed (with iPhone being 36% faster than other popular smart phone devices) and allowing for up to 5 hours of 3G talk time on a charge. That nearly doubles the industry standard of just under 3 hours.

The 3G iPhone also has built-in GPS which combined with Location Services in the SDK will allow developers to create incredibly rich location-based native applications for the iPhone 3G.

Enterprise Support

The iPhone 3G now includes support for Enterprise customers by tackling the following feature set:

Push email
Push calendar
Push contacts
Global address list
Cisco IPsec VPN
Certificates and Identities
WPA2 / 802.1x
Enforced security policies
Device configuration
Remote wipe

More about these features in future posts.

Third Party Applications

Perhaps the biggest story will be the full featured native application development via the App Store and the developer toolset Apple provides for iPhone development. This feature-rich intuitive platform unleashes incredible potential for an explosion of applications on the iPhone which I am eager to see released over the coming year.

The current applications under development and set to release July 11 when the phones become available are mind blowing. From Monkey Ball (SEGA) to medical imaging applications the iPhone base OS is giving developers an unrivaled handheld platform for rich applications development.

More Countries

The iPhone 3G will be available in 70 countries. Current iPhones are available in only six. There are twenty five countries slated for rollout the day 3G becomes available:

Lower Price

$199 (say no more.)

3G iPhone Just Weeks Away

2008-04-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ralph de la Vega, AT&T Mobility CEO told Gizmodo during a luncheon that AT&T was expecting a 3G iPhone within the next few months.

Ralph de la Vega is quoted as saying:

“Let me repeat what I said: I think that you’re going to see our integrated devices be 3G devices in the not-too-distant future, and I mean months. That should be clear enough.”

This is great news for those who have debunked the iPhone for EDGE performance. It seems Apple made the right move in waiting for better battery performance before adopting the 3G model.

Commodore Computer to Buy Apple Inc - iMac now iPET

2008-04-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Commodore Computer has risen from the ashes to aquire Apple Inc in a hostile bid takeover late last night. Investors woke to the news that Commodore intends to turn the iMac line into a new iPET line of computers.

Commodore, long considered an important player in the early days of computing, had originally wanted to target IBM for a takeover before they had sold out to Lenovo. Not contented with the historical bid to take over Atari secretly while still at the helm of Commodore, Jack Tramiel has resurfaced to tackle another old competitor - Apple Inc.

Investors and pundits alike were shocked to discover the old man was up to his old tricks. To show that Tramiel was serious about taking the Apple line forward he has introduced his plans for a 300 baud iTunes store as well as the plans in place for the design of the new iPET line of computers.

Insiders to the plans call the new vision for Apple (to be renamed Commodore) bold and, well, whacked. Tramiel released pictures of the new iPET he has been working on in his garage for some time. He believes the next generation chip inside will not be an Intel but a Tramieltel chip.

Asked about this new mystery chip he replied:

"I really liked naming things after me before and I don't this should be any different this time around. I liked the old days then and I am betting the new company that others will, too."

Apple's Next Big Thing

2008-03-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking out my crystal ball and taking the collective stirrings on the net about Apple patents, the MacBook Air, iPhone and our old pal Newton and making my prediction about Apple's next big thing. Hold onto your hats, folks - this could be revolutionary.

Recently Steve Jobs remarked in an interview with the New York Times that eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle were flawed because

It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.

Folks who follow the methods of Steve Jobs read this as a clear indicator that Apple has an eBook reader in the works. I agree with this assessment and couple it with other tidbits of information.

Apple has had a slate of recent patent applications that serve to further my prediction for Apple's next big thing. Among them are two of greatest importance. Electronista does a good job of describing the clamshell structure of a possible new iPhone. This may come to pass, but the application of this technology is not, in my opinion, limited to an iPhone device. When you couple the dual-sided touch-screen panels with a larger input device you have what amounts to a book-sized reader with multi-touch capability. Take a look at the images Apple included in the filing of the patent:

In a nutshell the patent uses a dual-sided input such that either side of the device could be used for tactile input. When closed it could act as a tablet and when open it could function as a notebook. Keep this in mind.

The problem with eBook reader so far has been they do not mimic the reality of reading books. They are bulky at best and even when thin they lack multiple functionality and are therefore limited to what they can do.

Now take into consideration the (some say) surprising success of the MacBook Air. It lacks some of the ports and embedded devices (DVD drive for example) that laptop computers are "supposed to have" and yet users of the new laptop are gushing about the experience of using the Air. This new form factor bodes well the development of a whole new category of machine - a revolution that Apple is certain to be first to bring to market.

Lastly consider the Newton. The Newton helped to create the market for PDA's but it never shook off bad press it had gotten for the handwriting recognition software it used. Back in 2004 Steve Jobs made mention of pride in a PDA they never shipped and some believe the Cupertino company never gave up hope on a PDA. Just today it is being reported that Apple has placed an employment position for a Handwriting Recognition Engineer. If you think Apple isn't mulling a new PDA you're nuts.

So onto my prediction then ...

Apple's next big thing is a laptop/tablet/PDA/book reader. Apple's next big thing will raise the bar on what we expect from a mobile computing platform.

Consider a multi-touch clamshell device that you open like a book and flip pages with your hand as though you were really flipping pages of a book. Imagine closing that book and writing on the cover with a stylus as you make notes. Imagine a software-only keyboard brought up by a single icon along a dock. Imagine using multi-touch for manipulating files. It goes on and on.

I have seen a lot of predictions for the iPhone clamshell and a lot of predictions for the dual-screen multi-sided input device as a laptop. But I think what is missing in these predictions is that Apple will want to redefine the whole landscape of expectations.

In a smaller form factor we might see a paperback sized eBook reader/tablet/PDA with browsing similar to the iPhone and in a larger version we would see a full-blown MacBook sans hardware input.

When this form factor comes into being I will be first in line to buy one.

What do you think? Possible? Probable? Let me know!

iPhone SDK and the Gaming Market

2008-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Way back in January of last year I had made mention of the iPhone as potential gaming platform and now it seems with the SDK released that Apple is unveiling what back then was a prediction - the iPhone as a handheld gaming platform.

Around the net I see buzz about this subject, but one thing missing here seems to be the price tag issue and so as I was considering this still more it occurs to me that really it's not about the iPhone as a gaming platform. It's about the iPod touch as the game platform.

With the power of OS X, the SDK, the 16 GB of Flash storage and the 128 MB of RAM the iPod Touch looks to me to be the best bet for Apple to offer a device capable of kicking some serious gameplay butt.

If Apple markets the downloadable games and the Touch as the platform for gaming they can attract the kids who don't need, won't get or otherwise can't have a cell phone plan.

Flash for the iPhone

2008-03-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Adobe made it known they intend to bring a Flash player client to the Apple iPhone using the new iPhone SDK unveiled recently by Apple Inc. The Flash player will be will be downloadable via the iTunes Store.

We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone. We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves.

- Adobe's Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen

This comes hot on the heels of Steve Jobs explaining that Flash is not available for the iPhone because it is not full featured enough as a Lite mobile application and would not function well as a full version. Evidently Adobe disagrees. Most folks agree Flash on the iPhone would be a huge plus since it has such a degree of acceptance across other devices and is in heavy use on the web.

Some rumors indicate that a disagreement over rendering PDF's on the iPhone is at the heart of the lack of an iPhone Flash player.

iPhone Social Networking

2008-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

The fanfare of the early adopters of the iPhone has long ago worn off, but the continuing climb in market share for the device suggests there is a continued desire among folks to be on the bandwagon and to enjoy the iPhone. Many families have more than one phone, and many friends share in the delight of iPhone ownership. Yet until recently networking with other iPhone owners was to be managed outside the realm of the iPhone.

Now along comes Fon11.com with a social networking platform for iPhone users. This nifty application (currently in Alpha release) allows iPhone owners to connect with others and offers among a host of features the following:

Live Phonebook (when contacts update numbers yours get updated automagically)
Friend Locator (see who is in your neighborhood!)
Mobile Broadcaster (Twitter for iPhone?)
Mood Indicator
Availability (set if it's a good time to contact you)
Favorite Places
Landmark Directory

... and of course more.

Anyone using Fon11 I'd like to hear of your experiences.

MS Outlook on iPhone!?

2008-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

I was astounded to find an interest among iPhone users to somehow stay tethered to their Microsoft Outlook accounts, but along comes HyperOffice to deliver just that. They now provide iPhone the ability to take Outlook on the road in iPhone style.

You can now use your iPhone as an effective business collaboration tool to:

* Update personal and group calendars, contacts, tasks and notes
* Manage projects
* Share calendars, contacts, tasks and notes
* View and Edit personal and shared documents
* Send and receive Email
* Manage internal teams and intranets
* Manage mixed teams and extranets

The software-as-a-service model for iPhone connectivity to Outlook account information appears to be ramping up to be a popular iPhone addition.

iPhone Safari Tip - Top of Page

2007-12-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

The web browser on the iPhone has its' quirks and so we're going to cover some of the methods of using the iPhone browser here with a series of tips.

To go to the top of a long web page without having to scroll, simply tap on the status bar at the top of the iPhone screen. You will immediately jump to the top of the page giving you access to the address bar without scrolling.

Email Tip for iPhone Users

2007-10-11T17:27:00.001-07:00

E-Mail Tips

One of the best tips I can offer for iPhone users in love with e-mail is to avoid using the same name for two accounts. Don't do it!

The iPhone Mail application will get confused and will copy the settings from one account directly onto the other. Fixing the situation by simply renaming one account will not work - you'll need to delete one of the accounts and then re-create it altogether, which is a huge loss of productive time for playing games instead.

Now Playing At Starbucks - Free Tunes

2007-10-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

The collaboration between Apple and Starbucks to bring the music being played in Starbucks to iTunes users on the fly has begun in earnest in Seattle and New York where the sweetness is not only in the whipped cream atop your hot coffee, but also now in your hand with a free iTunes download card handed out at the register.

Selected artists are featured every day and the card entitles the holder to a free downloaded song by that artist. This is a pretty brilliant way to get the Starbucks iTunes collaboration into the minds of the the Starbucks customers.

Additionally many Starbucks are also featuring a large flat panel display which shows the currently playing track and reminding them of the iTunes service.

The seamless nature of the blend of iTunes and lattes is another genius move and I'm looking forward to both my next java and my next tune once the service rolls out to my area of the country.

If you live in New York or Seattle and have personally used the service we'd love to hear your comments on the service. Is it over the top, in your face and obnoxious or is it blended tastefully like your cappuccino?

iUI For iPhone - One Step Closer to iPhone Apps Explosion

2007-09-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

With the recent release of the iPhone UI building toolset, Joe Hewitt brings a great collection of tools to bear on the burgeoning iPhone apps space.

A collection of JavaScript resources and CSS bundled together, Hewitt has given developers a suite of code that includes the following features:

1. UI controls

List groups, on/off switches, and fieldsets that look like the iPhone
"Settings" app

2. Linking to external pages via Ajax

Links to external URLs are now loaded via Ajax and inserted with animation into the page. When a link is loading, it will show a nice activity indicator while the user waits.

To see this in the demo, click on the "Stats" link.

Here is an example of Ajax-linkable source: http://joehewitt.com/iui/stats.php.txt

3. Submitting forms via Ajax

Just like with external links, if you submit a form it will post it via Ajax and insert the resulting content into the body.

To see this in the demo, click on the "Search" button and perform a
search.

Here is an example of PHP used to handle an Ajax form post:
http://joehewitt.com/iui/search.php.txt

4. Correct history support

The back button now shows the name of the previous page instead of just the "home" page.

5. Visual polish

The visuals replicate more of the fine details from Apple's designs.

6. JavaScript compression

There is a variation of "iui.js" called "iuix.js" which is compressed
using Dojo ShrinkSafe. It is about 4KB, where the original "iui.js"
is 8KB.

source: http://groups.google.com/group/iphonewebdev/browse_thread/thread/573a1d243f829db

With the collection of scripting available to leverage for the development of more iPhone web apps I am looking forward to a bevy of new web2.0 applications with rich design.

iPhone Price Drop = More Cash For Starbucks

2007-09-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Apple announced yesterday that the 4GB iPhone will be phased out and the 8GB model will see a price drop of $200 bringing the device to the four hundred dollar range. For early adopters of the iPhone this may be a bit hard to swallow and possibly encourage these same people from being eager to rush out and buy new Apple devices in the future.

There have been many folks who spoke in doomsday tones about the move Apple was making to get into the cellular phone market, but the price cut is akin to the moves made by cell phone manufacturers across the spectrum. That is, release a new phone and slash its' price within a year. This runs counter to the typical Apple method of cutting prices on products only after a couple iterations of the device, but it seems a shrewd decision by Apple in time for the holidays to gain wider acceptance of the device.

The iPhone will be issued a software update that introduces the iTunes Wi-Fi Store. Using the Wi-Fi ability of the iPhone you can now wirelessly buy tunes direct from your iPhone and synch them with iTunes when you get home. But where to use this new service? Try Starbucks. Apple and Starbucks are rolling out a special service (complete with a bottom row button on the iPhone) that allows you to see what the last ten songs played at a Starbucks location were and buy them directly via the Wi-Fi iTunes store. Pretty darned cool.

What to do with those tunes? How about make a ringtone. For an additional 99 cents you can now create a ringtone on your iPhone with many of the songs in your iTunes library. iTunes now has a new tool to enable you to select a portion of a song (up to thirty seconds long) and create your own custom ringtone.

So a price drop, Starbucks partnership, Wi-Fi iTunes store and dropping the low end phone model. Big news. Just in time for the holiday season ....

WebEx Apps for iPhone

2007-08-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

WebEx announced an iPhone compatible version of thier PCNow application. PCNow gives iPhone users the ability to access their desktop files, Microsoft Outlook corporate email, contacts and appointments from their iphone using the Safari browser.

Although WebEx does not yet support MacOS machines there are plans to make this happen later this year.

This is another example of harnessing the power of the iPhone to deliver some pretty cool apps.

Interested in a free trial of the service? Go to http://pcnow.webex.com/ for a free 30 day evaluation.

iPhone from Release To Hacked

2007-08-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

This comes courtesy Times Online Tech and Web

June 29: iPhone goes on sale in the US
July 2: First reports of an iPhone hack surface in internet forums, one hacker - 'gj' - claiming: "i'm pretty sure I know how to do it"
July 6: Unnamed hackers claim to have discovered the iPhone's root password - 'dottie' - but it is not immediately clear what its use is
July 6: Renowned hacker 'DVD Jon' completes the first successful hack, but once unlocked, the device only works as an internet browser and iPod, not a phone. The procedure also requires sophisticated equipment
July 23: A group of security researchers demonstrate how to take control of the phone using its internet connection, and get it to forward on personal information, including text messages and contact numbers.
Aug 25: A New Jersey teenager, George Hotz, releases details of a hack, having spent 500 hours tinkering with the software and rewiring the device with a soldering iron
Aug 29: Two websites claim to be 'days away' from releasing a commercial iPhone unlock service for $50

Two months from release to a software download making the iPhone carrier neutral? That worries me - not because I would not like to see the iPhone freed of the reins that AT&T intends to hold tight to, but because the ability to hack the phone begs the question of what else lies in store for the iPhone owners?

Get Your Qix on iPhone

2007-07-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

It's starting to happen ... little pushes here and there and folks are rolling out all sorts of cool stuff for the iPhone. Though this doesn't quite shatter the game platform of the PSP you can get your Qix on the iPhone if you are in the mood for a little retro gaming.

iPhone Wows and Whoas

2007-07-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

It's out and it's selling like mad and the reviews are coming in with a mix of those waxing poetic and others having activation problems who are cursing the device.

iPhone has managed to capture the hearts of many of those who waited in line for the estimated half million units sold in the first 24 hours. "It's awesome, it's the best thing I ever saw in my life," said New York private detective Jerry Gregory. "Once people see this phone they are going to want one. Everybody I show this phone wants one, even people who were anti-iPhone."

The sentiment runs deep among many early adopters that this is quite simply the most gorgeous device ever brought to market. It does not score 100% in all departments, but it raises the bar on cell phone design in ways that only Apple could do.

Some customers have experienced delays in activating the phone. AT&T spokesperson Michael Coe remarked "We are working on any issues on an individual basis with customers who were impacted." Nearly all customers have been able to activate their phones within five to eight minutes, he said. That doesn't take the sour taste out of the mouths of those who waited so long for the iPhone only to find themselves unable to get activated for as long as 14 hours.

The "wows" are being heard as people describe the ease of use and gorgeous UI Apple has built into the phone and they seem to far outnumber the "whoas" of those having troubles.

iPhone Rate Plans Released

2007-06-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

AT&T and Apple on Tuesday said wireless service plans for the iPhone will range from $59.99 to $99.99 a month.

The $59.99 monthly plan includes 450 minutes of voice time, a $79.99 plan includes 900 minutes, and a $99.99 plan includes 1,350 minutes. All three offer 200 text messages, unlimited data services, minutes that roll over month-to- month, and mobile-to-mobile calls. There also is a $36 activation fee.

For me these plans pale in comparison to what I can get from Verizon. Two hundred TXT messages wouldn't last nearly long enough and unless Apple can add Instant Message ability or a web2.0 site offers IM for the iPhone through the browser this doesn't much appeal to me.

I also rather think the thirty six dollars is just a kick in the shins after shelling out the cash for the device to begin with.

Am I going sour on the iPhone? No. But I do have to wonder if the rate plans will open up a bit for those of us who happen to prefer TXT over voice.

WEB 2.0 Apps For iPhone

2007-06-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

It's official - Developers can create web 2.0 Apps for the iPhone. Given that the iPhone comes packed with the full Safari browser it makes sense that Steve Jobs would announce this as the development platform for the iPhone, but I think many developers are likely disappointed they cannot code natively to the OS and have to mange the applications as delivered through Safari.

Apple also released Safari for Windows which might go a long way toward attracting developers who are typically outside the Apple development circles, though it remains to be seen.

Fifth iPhone Commercial

2007-06-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

The fifth iPhone commercial has come out and has been grabbed onto YouTube. Here ya go:

One thing I find interesting is how seemingly simple it is to manage the browsing of the NYTimes site - moving columns, expanding the view to make it grow, etc.

New iPhone Commercials

2007-06-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's official - the iPhone is coming June 29th.

To kick off the release date Apple has created some new commercials which are really good.

See the iPhone Commercials here.

Google Apps On iPhone

2007-05-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

AT&T President of National Distribution Glenn Lurie let slip in an interview recently that:

You have the widgets, some of the Google applications that are coming - there are just so many things here that the price will not be an issue.”

Yes, folks, Google applications that are coming. We know about maps, but is the Calendar feature going to be Google's and what about Blogger? I am thrilled to learn there are more things to expect from Google on the iPhone and I am eager to discover what those might be.

What would you like to see on the iPhone coming from Google?

Sony to Compete with iPhone with Retooled PSP

2007-05-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

Sony has announced plans to develop the Sony PSP into a device to compete with the iPhone. Though there are no announced specifics about the changes in store there are some broad strokes painted by the deal inked with UK based BT.

The deal announced by the two calls for adding wireless broadband communications inclusive of high quality video calls, voice calls and messaging. BT has made a name for itself by providing these broadband services in the UK. The PSP will fit into the scheme of already existing infrastructure.

There is nothing divulged about possible design changes to the PSP beyond the goals of achieving the connectivity. I have to wonder if the PSP and Mylo merge together in this scenario. In an earlier post comparing the iPhone to the Sony Mylo I thought it was a good device for the target crowd of internet connected device users who do not want a monthly contract cost - such as college students. The new PSP will debut in Europe where BT operates.

I am curious to see how a PSP rebranded as a phone may look. I suspect it will have some of the appearances of the Mylo but wonder about the game controls of the PSP. It will be curious to watch the developments here.

What's your take? Does Sony have a shot at the iPhone market with a newly tooled PSP?

iPhone Release Strategy

2007-05-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

I've been mulling over the release strategy of the iPhone from Apple and have to say these guys have got it right. By not allowing any pre-orders they take the must-have gadget to the arena of the usually hyped gaming consoles - with people lining up outside stores to buy one or succumbing to the "I gotta have it" crazies and plunking down three to four times the retail value through E-Bay or the like.

Apple has already gotten over (I think the figure is) 40 million dollars worth of free advertising since the announcement of the device with every corner of the tech industry watching. Sites like this one have sprouted up everywhere and everyone has something to say about it.

AT&T has not been as tight-lipped as Apple though the few scraps of leaked information have really been less than earth shattering news.

One thing is certain, when the doors open on sales for this device it will be everywhere. Evening news, business reports, blogs, newspapers ... everywhere. Will the iPhone create the same cult addiction as other apple products only this time coupled with the craze of newly released gaming consoles? I'd take the bet it will. Your opinions?

iPhone Opening to Third Party Developers

2007-05-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post questioning if the iPhone was a smartphone or not I made mention that applications for the device to be released by Apple could challenge the notion of what a smartphone is. The idea of useful widgets for download and eventually opening the iPhone to third party developers has gained traction with recent statements from Steve Jobs during a shareholders meeting.

Jobs mentioned that allowing third party development for the iPhone is something that Apple "is wrestling with". My belief is that they want to maintain control of the user experience to some extent, but also want to gain acceptance in the enterprise market as a workable alternative to other smartphone devices.

By holding back on announcing the ability to develop for the iPhone, Apple gets one more bite at front page tech news. I would not be surprised to find a very slick development environment already in place at Apple that could hasten creation of "approved" apps for the iPhone. I think the concern from a sales point of view is that competing applications for the iPhone could eat at potential profits of sales for add-ons.

If third party apps are developed for the iPhone what would you like to see? What do you think is coming down the road?