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October 2007 Archives
Oct 1, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 2:38 PM ETiPhone 1.0 forever?
Our compatriot Rob Griffiths has posted a provocative piece on the Mothership called "iPhone 1.0 forever," where forever is defined as, "until those hackers crack Apple's code and get iPhone 1.1.1 running with third-party apps." It's a good piece and it's worth a read. Rob is clearly upset about this,...
Oct 1, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 6:11 PM ET
My iPhone is now an iPod touch (sort of)
So I spent much of last night and today trying to turn my bricked iPhone into something other than an emergency cell phone. I went through the various methods outlined on the Web for downgrading the firmware from 1.1.1 to 1.0.2 (knowing full well that having run a software SIM...
Oct 2, 2007 - Posted by Jim Dalrymple at 9:22 AM ET
iPhone lawsuits keep coming
Suing Apple must be the cool thing to do these days. Apple, AT&T and even Steve Jobs have been named in the latest lawsuit involving the iPhone. This time Apple is accused of price discrimination because of the $200 iPhone price drop the company made in September. Apple later offered...
Oct 2, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 2:23 PM ET
Starbucks and iTunes: Ready for prime time?
Today's the day that Starbucks begins its iTunes Wi-Fi Store promo at locations in Seattle and New York. (You may remember that Steve Jobs announced this partnership with Starbucks during Apple's September 5 press event, alongside Starbucks founder and chairman Howard Schultz.) So how's that launch going? I couldn't tell...
Oct 3, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 5:04 PM ET
Verizon: If it's touch screens you want, it's touch screens you'll get
Over at Macworld, we reprinted a Computerworld story on the latest phones from Verizon released in anticipation of the holiday season. The most interesting of the four phones, at least from an iPhone perspective, is the LG Voyager (pictured here), which has touch screen and a QWERTY keypad. (The latter...
Oct 4, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 6:07 PM ET
How many unlocked iPhones are there?
During all this hubbub over bricked iPhones, one question keeps coming up over and over again: Just how many iPhone users does the unlocked phone-disabling 1.1.1 software update actually affect? Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is willing to take a stab at the answer. According to AppleInsider, Munster wrote a...
Oct 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 12:08 PM ET
Review: Contour Design Showcase for iPhone
Contour Design's Showcase cases for the iPod have earned positive reviews from us, thanks to designs that provide good protection without obscuring the iPod's own attractive surfaces--hence the name Showcase. The company recently released its $35 Showcase for iPhone, and it's a worthy addition to the Showcase line. Like...
Oct 5, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 2:24 PM ET
The blame game
After this week's iPhone-themed podcast, we're pretty much talked out about the bricking aspects of the 1.1.1 software update. The rest of the Internet, however, seems like it's just warming up, particularly when it comes to the always fun issue of assigning blame. So tell me, Internet: Who is to...
Oct 5, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 3:13 PM ET
Liberty! Fraternity! Incompatibility?
We brought you word last month of the apparent deal between Apple and Orange to bring the iPhone to France. That story broke around the same time, Apple reached similar deals with mobile service providers in the U.K. and Germany; the chief difference, however, was that Apple never formally announced...
Oct 7, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 11:58 PM ET
New iPhone ads...in mid-air!
The fellow to your left is Doug. Doug thinks that one of the greatest advancements in the history of mankind is the iPhone's Visual Voicemail feature. And Doug expounds upon that hypothesis in one of three new iPhone TV ads to debut this weekend. At least, I'm pretty sure they...
Oct 8, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:28 PM ET
Halt! 1.1.1 jailbreak in progress
The 1.1.1 update to the iPhone's software has plenty of vociferous detractors (myself and my colleague Rob Griffiths, for example). Neither of us were particularly concerned with the update bricking unlocked phones—more upsetting was the loss of third-party applications upon which we'd become increasingly reliant. It seemed as though the...
Oct 8, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:44 PM ET
Yes, it's YAiL (Yet Another iPhone Lawsuit)
I'm thinking perhaps we need an iPhone Lawsuit Drinking* Game. Or maybe I just need a drink** every time I start hearing about another iPhone lawsuit. Last week, it was someone complaining about the $200 price drop on the iPhone. Today, it's a California resident, Timothy Smith, claiming that Apple...
Oct 9, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:03 PM ET
Even iTunes hates ringtones
You've done things the Apple way, eschewing hacks and products like iToner to put ringtones on your most advanced mobile phone evar. Finding a CD of your favorite artist that actually has tracks you can turn into ringtones, you've paid the $0.99 premium on all of them and you're ready...
Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 5:37 PM ET
1.1.1 hacked, but not for the faint of heart
You may know never to fight a land war in Asia, or to engage in a battle of wits with a Sicilian when death is on the line, but only lesser known is this: never bet against the hackers. Human ingenuity is a powerful thing, especially when fueled by a...
Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 11:15 PM ET
A forthcoming iPhone development development?
TidBITS (and frequent Macworld) contributor Glenn Fleishman reports that some sort of iPhone development is afoot: Several sources tell me that Apple is nearing an announcement of some sort regarding third-party development on the iPhone... what I am hearing from several sources is that the announcement, one that Steve Jobs...
Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:29 PM ET
Unlock your iPhone on 1.1.1...if you dare
The whole iPhone hacking thing is a lot like the circle of life. In that, er, it's circular...and full of life. Okay, the metaphor has been lost, but it's enough to know that it just keeps on keepin' on. After the 1.1.1 salvo fired by Apple, teams have been working...
Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:39 PM ET
Apple: Web apps are teh awes0me! Really! Guys? Hello?
As per one of the rumors awash in the great morass of tubes, Apple has indeed launched a directory of web apps for the iPhone. The result would make a professional politician proud, as it manages to entirely sidestep the controversy over native applications by putting forth an alternate version...
Oct 12, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 1:21 AM ET
Rethinking those iPhone ads
Yes, I wrote about the latest iPhone TV spots earlier this year, and I revisited the subject on Thursday over at The Mothership. But immediately upon posting that latter piece, someone brought a point to my attention so salient that it required a near immediate update. I yield the floor...
Oct 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 10:47 AM ET
Man threatened with jail for using iPhone on plane
I must confess my evil secret: I have accidentally left my cell phone on during takeoff and landing, and I am—amazingly—still alive to tell the tale. It's unbelievable, I know, but true. Believe me, when I'm flying at 35,000 feet, the last thing I want to do is interfere with...
Oct 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:33 PM ET
Stan Sigman says sayonara
Stan Sigman, the AT&T Wireless CEO who famously took the stage with Steve Jobs to introduce the iPhone back in January is stepping down. Sigman is perhaps best remembered by Apple fans as completely negating Jobs's Reality Distortion Field in an incident which left almost half of the entire keynote...
Oct 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:39 PM ET
iPhone's trademark appeal disputed in Canada
O Canada: we hear your pleas. You want the iPhone, we know. It galls you that you're so close to the source, yet you have to wait until after those European folks get theirs. What's the hold up? Well, besides the apparent lack of any agreement with a Canadian GSM...
Oct 15, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:41 AM ET
iPhone doesn't yet come in green
Greenpeace and Apple have a rocky relationship at best. The environmental organization has taken Apple to task for what it sees as a lack of commitment to "green" practices, an allegation that Apple has firmly rebutted. And though Greenpeace raised its marks on Apple after Steve Jobs's open letter on...
Oct 15, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:53 PM ET
3G iPhone getting closer to reality
Arguably the most requested feature for the next version of the iPhone is 3G, or third-generation, networking. 3G promises large speed increases for both uploading and downloading, giving mobile users quick network access even when not on a Wi-Fi hot spot. When Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in January, he...
Oct 16, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:46 PM ET
Alors, Apple and Orange: ensemble enfin!
It's a day to be remembered for fruit fans across the entire world—or, at least, France. Apple has announced the third of its triumvirate of European mobile phone providers and, to nobody's surprise, it's Orange. Previously, there had been rumblings that Apple and Orange were having disputes about profit-sharing, but...
Oct 17, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 9:55 AM ET
Unlocked iPhone to be sold legally in France
Gee, it's almost surprising that Apple omitted this from its press release yesterday about the iPhone's availability in France. As the country has a law that prevents the exclusive bundling of phones with a service provider, Apple and Orange will be forced to offer an unlocked version of the phone....
Oct 17, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:01 PM ET
Breaking: Steve Jobs promises third-party apps on iPhone, iPod touch
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Steve Jobs—the real one, you understand—needs a blog. Stat. Until then, the Apple hot news page will have to suffice for bombshells such as this one: a Software Development Kit for the iPhone and iPod touch due in February. Boo yah....
Oct 17, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 5:05 PM ET
iToner 1.0.3 brings back custom ringtones
Among the functionality rendered inoperable by Apple's 1.1.1 iPhone software update was the ability to load up your phone with ringtones made from your own music and sounds, without having to venture into the per-ringtone madness of the iTunes Store. Fortunately, the clever folks at Ambrosia have revved their iToner...
Oct 17, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 6:00 PM ET
Review: Marware C.E.O. Sleeve for iPhone
Holsters have long been a popular way of carrying weapons, and in today's world there's no more popular or potent sidearm than the mobile phone. Marware's $25 C.E.O. Sleeve for iPhone is a leather sleeve for the iPhone that keeps it close at hand for those phone calls and email...
Oct 17, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 7:00 PM ET
Review: DLO HipCase for iPhone
One of the nice things about the iPhone is that it's slim enough to fit in most pockets. But some people don't like to mix their phone with the other contents of those pockets; they prefer to have the phone easily accessible on their belt. DLO's $35 HipCase for...
Oct 18, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:04 AM ET
Return of the matte background people
Say welcome, bienvenue, and willkommen to a trio of new ads for the iPhone. Like the last set, these are filmed in a manner reminiscent of Apple's old Switch ads: plain backgrounds with real people talking about their experiences with the iPhone. This time around we have Bryce, an airline...
Oct 18, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:05 PM ET
Please for the love of all that is good, do not wear these
Look, yes, the iPhone is kind of a fingerprint magnet. It attracts smudges the way Black Friday sales attract insanity. And the brilliant folks at Phone Fingers saw this as an opportunity—nay, a duty. A way to prevent people from desecrating their holy iPhones with their greasy, oily fingers. For...
Oct 18, 2007 - Posted by Christopher Breen at 7:31 PM ET
Fix for iPhone earphone issue
Alan Luckow felt like he'd made too many trips to his local Apple Store to fix an iPhone annoyance. Specifically, the iPhone's handset stopped working and he could use it only when wearing his earbuds or Bluetooth headset. Rather than make one more trip, he came up with a solution...
Oct 22, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:26 PM ET
Getting your hack back on 1.1.1
So, after all the hoo-hah over the 1.1.1 update undoing SIM unlocks and third-party applications that we'd all enjoyed on the 1.0.2 firmware, does it mean the hackers have just given up? Of course not: these guys aren't about to just roll over and die; to them, it just means...
Oct 22, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 6:19 PM ET
iPhone sales: 1.119 milion reasons to smile
Remember how three months ago when Apple released its third-quarter results, people saw that the company sold 270,000 iPhones for the quarter and -- ignoring the fact the iPhone was on sale for about 36 hours during the quarter -- began running around screaming "The iPhone is doomed, I tells...
Oct 23, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:28 AM ET
Apple estimates number of unlocked phones
If you didn't take the time to listen to the entirety of Apple's Q4 2007 financial results conference call yesterday, well, I can't blame you. I did, and my eyes are still partially glazed over, perhaps explaining why I walked into the refrigerator this morning. But if you weren't listening,...
Oct 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:31 AM ET
Can I get a "1"? And, er, how about another "1." Okay, one more!
In case the noise over the iPhone 1.1.1 software update bricking unlocked iPhones and disabling third-party apps drowned out news of the new features itself, worry not: we're there for you. Over at the mothership we've put together a pretty darn comprehensive list of all the features you'll find in...
Oct 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:13 PM ET
1.1.1 is now totally Funtastic
The 1.1.1 crackfest continues with the release of iFunstastic 4.6.1. What can you do with iFuntastic? Heck, what can't you do with it? Besides custom ringtones, changing up your Home screen, and altering the system sounds, the program also makes it a snap to jailbreak your phone, regardless of the...
Oct 25, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:37 PM ET
A price above iPhones: how much does AT&T pay Apple?
Apple's notoriously close-mouthed when it comes to the specifics of its business deals. In Monday's financial results conference call, questions about Apple's deal with AT&T were met with a polite but firm admonition from Fred Oppenheimer, followed by a comment about how nice the weather was in Siberia this time...
Oct 29, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:54 AM ET
New iPhone hack is scary, and scary awesome
It's true: after the 1.1.1 update to the iPhone, I thought things would never again be the same when it came to installing third-party applications. But I should never have doubted my own sage words of advice. If anything, the latest method of installing third-party applications is even easier than...
Oct 29, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:18 PM ET
Apple says you've had enough iPhones
Way to act like my dad, Apple. So just because other people have been buying iPhones for the purpose of unlocking them and reselling them, I get punished? According to the AP, Apple has imposed a limit of two iPhones per customer, and isn't allowing customers to pay with cash...
Oct 29, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 2:26 PM ET
Tonight on Cane: New iPhone features
The next time Apple wants to bring the hammer down on someone for leaking details about an upcoming product or feature, maybe they should start with Jimmy Smits. That's what faithful reader Markito is wondering, anyhow, after watching an episode of the CBS drama Cane, which stars former U.S. President...
Oct 30, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:52 PM ET
T-Mobile and Apple talk German rate plans
Apple and T-Mobile have released information about the rate plans for the iPhone in Germany, so if you're in Germany, and interested in buying an iPhone, we're guessing you will be quite interested. All plans include unlimited data (of course), Visual Voicemail (right), and access to T-Mobile's 8000 Wi-Fi hot...
Oct 30, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 5:45 PM ET
Feeling a little rundown? 1.1.1 may be to blame
In the first few days after installing 1.1.1, I started noticing that, for the first time, my iPhone's battery life seemed to be suffering from a problem with premature exhaustion. At first I chalked it up to chance: perhaps I'd been overusing the phone, or maybe I just hadn't been...
Oct 31, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:43 PM ET
iPhone to head to the outback
With firm dates for the iPhone's appearance on the European continent (even if limited only to the UK, France, and Germany), thoughts begin to move farther afield. Apple's said that they plan to continue their expansion into Asia in 2008, but what of specific news of deals with providers in...
Oct 31, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 5:08 PM ET
Review: Marware Sportsuit Sleeve for iPhone
Maybe you don't need a fancy-pants case for your iPhone. You just want to keep it as protected as possible and you're happy to keep it stowed away whenever you're not using it. If you're just such a person, you might consider Marware's $20 Sportsuit Sleeve for iPhone. The...
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