e, they have seen only a threefold increase.

He didn’t go into details on why they think the increase wasn’t as much as they were expecting, but there is suspicion that the connection issues causing some iPhones to drop calls or revert suddenly to EDGE data were possibly attempts to discourage the use of their data network.

Still, they claim that the iPhone 3G’s data use on average is high compared to other phones, and that high concentrations of iPhone 3G’s in some areas have pushed the company to upgrade their cell towers and behind-the-scenes infrastructure.

He also denied that they oversold iPhone 3Gs for it’s network, saying instead that they have taken their own steps to prepare for the anticipated demand.

They also noted that they don’t plan to introduce the futuristic Long Term Evolution (aka 4G) format to their network until 2010, and plan to let other companies adopt it earlier.

Posted on September 19th, 2008 by admin
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Apple have released iPhone firmware v2.1, announced by Steve Jobs earlier this week and the company’s promised cure for dropped calls, poor battery life and slow iTunes backups. According to the update details, it also includes improved email reliability for both POP and Exchange users, faster third-party application installs, improved SMS performance and speedier contacts searching.

There’s also a re-fettled 3G signal strength display, promising more accuracy, and the security option to wipe the iPhone’s data after ten incorrect passcode attempts. Genius playlist creation has also been added, Apple’s new “intelligent” system that can analyze your tracks and suggest similar music from both your own library and from the iTunes store.

You can download the new firmware by connecting your iPhone, loading iTunes and choosing “Check for update”. The new firmware will automatically download and install. We’re downloading it now, let us know how you get on with your own iPhone.

via http://www.iphonebuzz.com/iphone-firmware-21-released-promises-more-battery-fewer-bugs-124691.php

Posted on September 16th, 2008 by admin
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So how will he do it? The crafty hacker will use a custom firmware bundle to bypass the iPhone’s passcode lock and gain access to all the phone’s secrets. But the hackerific presentation isn’t meant for thieves and vagabonds. Rather, it’s intended for “law enforcement and anyone else who has a need to access the not-so-readily available data on an iPhone.”

This all shouldn’t come as a big surprise, considering this is the same guy that programmed the NES.app and was one of the many responsible for cracking the iPhone for the first time. And though news of the recent iPhone security flaw where you could bypass the passcode lock just by double-clicking the home button makes it all seem rather simple, we’re assuming this hack is a bit more sophisticated. It probably assumes that simple flaw doesn’t exist.

via http://www.iphonebuzz.com/hacker-to-break-iphones-security-via-live-webcast-094667.php

Posted on September 9th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: iphone applications, 3G iPhone | No Comments »

   I’m not sure that I quite agree with this in the wider scheme of things, but these examples are hard to argue with — apparently it’s easier and faster to just misspell words on your iPhone than to take the time to type them out in full. “We’re,” for example, is usually six hits on the iPhone’s keyboard — four for the letters, and one to shift to punctuation and another to punch in the apostrophe. But if you type “Weree,” just five hits, Apple’s little corrector will fix it for you, and you can keep on writing.

Normally, the little corrections made by the iPhone are more frustrating than anything else, but in this case, it could be a benefit — as long as you remember to misspell all the words with apostrophes while typing. Hopefully, any habits incurred while trying to save time on the iPhone won’t translate into anything else you happen to write — weree not responsible for any mistakes that might get made.

via http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/08/misspelling-is-faster-on-the-iphone/

Posted on September 9th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: iPhone News, 3G iPhone | No Comments »

espite Android, their highly anticipated upcoming mobile computing platform, Google executives have been consistently praising the iPhone for its innovative qualities. Matthew Glotzbach recently added himself to the list of iPhone-lovers to come from the company. This time it was for it’s impact on cloud computing.

“I’m a huge Apple fan, I’m a huge iPhone fan. It’s really opened up computing in the mobile world,” Glotzbach said. He mentioned his ability to do things like access email and documents, and even flip through a presentation he was set to give days later.

There are currently 500,000 businesses that use Google Apps, which includes their cloud-based business applications, and 3,000 more sign up every day. Could-based information and applications offer speed, security, and stability, and most of all, portability. “Obviously, the browser today is the gateway to the cloud,” Glotzbach said.

The constant public admiration of the iPhone from Google seems particularly unusual given that Google is preparing Android, their own mobile computing technology, which many believed would be in direct competition with the iPhone and iPhone 3G.

via http://www.iphonealley.com/news/google-exec-praises-iphone-for-its-effect-on-cloud-computing

Posted on September 8th, 2008 by admin
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Recently, TUAW has received numerous tips about near random iPhone boot loops that force users to restore their units. This forum thread suggests that these reboots may be due to the iPhone’s onboard watchdog system.

The iPhone has to create a new Application Map whenever you load or unload apps to the system. Should the time to create that map exceed two minutes, the phone enters an endless boot cycle.

The solution proposed on the thread isn’t of much general use — it requires jailbroken shell access. You may want to limit the number and scope of Apps you load to your phone (i.e. cut down on those tip calculators and sudoku apps that we know you’re secretly addicted to) to achieve the same, stable results.

via http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/05/iphone-users-reporting-reboots-due-to-high-app-count/

Fewer apps mean a shorter time to generate that map and a better likelihood that your phone will work with greater reliability.

Posted on September 8th, 2008 by admin
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ld most probably be an iPhone 3G killer. In this article we try to pit Android based phones (the Dream, as of yet) against the Apple iPhone 3G.

As the HTC Dream’s hardware specs are not yet clear, we will mostly concentrate on the software and operating system front. Also, the hardware comparision between the Android based phones and the iPhone 3G isn’t fair at all as there will be many Android phones coming out in the next year from most of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, each with a wide range of hardware components so the iPhone 3G probably doesn’t even stand much of a chance on the hardware front. Still, for the sake of fairness, we try to pit the iPhone 3G against the HTC Dream when it comes to hardware.

Design:
When it comes to design, the iPhone 3G wins hands down against the HTC Dream. The leaked images of the HTC Dream reveal a kiddish design, with rounded edges and a hideous sliding QWERTY keypad implementation. HTC’s design team could certainly have done a much better job with the first Android phone. The Dream has evoked very similar reactions from across the internet. The build quality does seem to be decent though. Also a bigger display size would have helped it a lot. Also, the iPhone excels when it comes to hardware components, except for some drawbacks like the camera, but overall it is superb. What it lags in are the software restrictions. We would surely hand this one to the iPhone 3G.
Winner: iPhone 3G

Hardware:
Considering the specs of the Dream, it seems to have superb hardware, very much in the league of the iPhone - Capacitive Touchscreen, 528 MHZ Qualcomm CPU, 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM and probably some accelerometers and sensors thrown in. What adds to it’s appeal, is that the Dream will have a full fledged QWERTY keypad which is much more suited to text input than the iPhone’s touchscreen input. It should also probably have a 3.2 MP camera with erm.. video recording support. It should also support A2DP profile with Bluetooth. Having said all this, we would like to point out that the iPhone has superb hardware, no doubt. But the Dream supposedly gives us what the iPhone doesn’t - a QWERTY keypad, better cam, A2DP and much more.
This one, we feel, should go to the HTC Dream.
Winner: HTC Dream (Android)

OS and Interface:
The iPhone 3G has the best interface yet, when it comes to smartphones. It’s new MultiTouch interface completely revolutionized the way people look at touchscreen phones. It has superb animations and menu transitions that were unheard of in smartphones. However, looking at the several Android demos and videos online as well as studying the SDK Emulator closely, we can say that Android too excels in the interface department. It has various 3D effects and animations all strewn across it’s menu and settings. It closely matches the iPhone in this aspect, if it doesn’t actually surpass it.
Also, when it comes to the core Operating system, Android is way ahead of the iPhone OS X in terms of features and capabilities. Almost every setting is configurable and you can actually tweak and alter the internals of the operating system to your liking. This is very much a better option to the ‘closed’-ness of the iPhone 3G.
Winner: HTC Dream (Android)

Application Support:
The Android powered HTC Dream seems to be the clear winner in this aspect. It will have much better software support and availability than the iPhone thanks to its open nature. It will also have the much needed multi-tasking support which is missing in the iPhone. In direct competition to the hugely popular Appstore, the only means to get applications and games for the iPhone, Google has announced the Android Market for application distribution which functions quite similarly to the Appstore.
As Android is expected to be backed by many open source loyalists and developers, it will have better support communities and forums. This should prove to be a major boost to the whole software development and distribution process of Android. On the other hand, Apple is, in a way, restricting application development for the iPhone by screening the applications and approving only some of them by some shady criteria. Also, comparing the SDK’s of both Android and the iPhone, we feel that Android’s SDK is much better than the iPhone’s. Creating applications for Android is much easier as it uses a custom language very similar to Java, syntactically and conceptually. One more point for Android.
Winner: HTC Dream (Android)

Multimedia Capabilities:
In the multimedia wars, it should be a tough fight, with the Dream having a slight edge over the iPhone. We can safely assume that Apple would definitely take the crown easily from the HTC Dream in the sound quality department, it is an iPod after all. In the video department, both should perform almost similarly, with the iPhone 3G gaining slightly again, anyone can vouch for it’s video playback quality. Also, we would like to assume that the iPhone 3G should have a better display than the Dream. However, the Dream would definitely support a wider range of formats and codecs, and also offer a wider choice of audio and video players, while the iPhone is and will be restricted to it’s native formats and default audio and video players. This should level the playing field for both the giants.
Also, considering the larger picture, Android as a whole will definitely win this war, as it will also have multimedia centric phones being rolled out, but we give this one to the iPhone 3G for the sake of fairness.
Winner: iPhone 3G

Other Features:
The HTC Dream should give us most of the features that the iPhone 3G misses out on. As mentioned before, a QWERTY keypad, Bluetooth with A2DP and file sending support, a better cam with video recording and hopefully AF and Flash, multitasking capabilities and better internet capabilities. Agreed that the iPhone’s Safari is the best mobile web browser yet, but Android’s browser based on Webkit seems to be equally capable as well. It may even surpass Safari in some aspects, judging by the browser’s performance in the SDK emulator. It does support Java and should include support Flash as well by the time it comes out. Android will also support a version of Opera Mobile.
It will definitely support setting MP3 files as ringtones, and has much better graphic capabilities, both software and hardware. Also, we do hope that the Android won’t have any of the infamous bugs the iPhone 3G has - faulty chips, mediocre reception and security threats due to buggy software.

Adding to these reasons, Android will run on many phones, ranging from the cheap to the wildly inexpensive and cover a wide range of hardware. It will have built in support for most Google products - Gmail, Orkut, GTalk etc. By observing the positive response at the launch of Google’s Chrome, we can definitely say that this feature will be very well received.

Winner: HTC Dream (Android)

Overall Winner: HTC Dream - Android

Digg it:
http://digg.com/linux_unix/HTC_Dream_Android_vs_iPhone_3G_A_Detailed_Comparision

Conclusion: As shown above, the HTC Dream (Android) beats the iPhone 3G, 4-2. Many of the points mentioned above may seem to be biased, especially to iPhone fanatics. Please note that it isn’t possible to make a clear and unbiased decision yet as the HTC Dream isn’t out yet. We will surely make changes to the article when the Dream is out and also post a more detailed comparision. Leave a comment if you like this article or otherwise.

via http://androidgeek.blogspot.com/2008/09/google-android-htc-dream-vs-apple_9364.html

Posted on September 3rd, 2008 by admin
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     A pay-as-you-go iPhone 3G will be launched later this month, allowing customers to use the device without subscribing to a long-term contract for the first time.

The prepay handset will be available from September 16, priced at an eye-watering £349.99 for the 8 gigabyte version and £399.99 for 16 gigabytes.

Although the initial outlay is steep, analysts say it will appeal to customers who want to stay in control of their spending, and those who make few phone calls.

They have also predicted that it will top the Christmas best-seller lists as teenagers clamour to have the latest technology now they, or their parents, are not required to sign-up to a contract.

It will also suit those who are reluctant to lock themselves into an expensive 18-month deal when the economic future is so uncertain.

Ben Wood, head of research at technology analysts CCS Insight, said: “This is huge. I think we’ll see people queuing up outside the stores for it. People are increasingly nervous about locking themselves into long term commitments especially in the light of the current economic downturn.

“The iPhone’s long contract length and expensive monthly contract charges have deterred a vast swathe of UK subscribers from buying one - that has all changed now.”

The phone deal, which will be available from Apple, 02 and Carphone Warehouse outlets, includes unlimited web-browsing and Wi-Fi for the first year.

After that customers will pay £10 a month.

O2 has exclusive rights to the Apple handset, and the pay-as-you-go version is available on any of its prepaid tariffs, from £10 top-up a month.

This year Apple allowed O2 to offer the iPhone free on contract for the first time.

However, the lowest price is £45 a month over 18 months for the 8 gigabyte handset - equivalent to £810 or alternatively £75 a month for the 16 gigabyte model, setting consumers back £1,350.

via http://www.telegraph.co.uk/digitallife/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/09/02/dliphone102.xml

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
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* iPhone is here, but others are gearing up too

Apple may drop iPhone’s price by at least Rs 5,000, says Anshul Gupta, principal analyst with Gartner. “At current prices, we expect iPhone to sell primarily among those who cannot wait for Apple or the operators to cut prices,” he said. “It will be a volumes game then for the operators to clear out their stocks before Apple announces a new version of iPhone.”

* Apple iPhone: Beyond the hype

The 3G, or third generation, iPhone sells for more than triple its US price tag in India. The eight-gigabyte model of the phone, which includes a built-in iPod and a desktop-class web browser, sells for Rs 31,000, while the 16GB version goes for Rs 36,100. Amid the confetti and cheerleaders at its launch on August 22, the price was perceived to be a discordant note.There are an estimated 30,000 users of iPhone (first generation devices) in India, and the operators are hoping to get past this number with iPhone 3G. However, the price tag has limited Apple to an extremely small portion of the 260 million mobile subscribers in India. Airtel and Vodafone can between them theoretically carry iPhone to almost 105.2 million subscribers. However, iPhone falls in the smart phone category, whose market is estimated at 10 million by 2010.Meanwhile, the grey market (for both the first generation and 3G iPhone), has turned bleak. “Earlier in July, I had delivered 15 iPhone 2G handsets (priced at Rs 22,000) to my customers from all over Maharashtra and in August I had bookings for almost 20 iPhone 3G of which 10 customers have already cancelled their bookings,” said a dealer in Mumbai’s Heera Panna market. The customers, he says, are looking to buy from Airtel and Vodafone since the grey market price is only slightly lower.Analysts feel that both the operators are hoping to strike a stronger relation with their customers, by offering exclusive data plans. The industry’s average revenue per user has been on a decline each quarter. “As service providers penetrate deeper into the country, getting new customers who don’t spend more than $8-10 a month on their phone bills, they will rely on devices like iPhone to cushion their ARPUs in the urban areas,” says Girish Trivedi, deputy director (ICT Practice), Frost & Sullivan.

via http://anim.mypressonline.com/wordpress/2008/09/01/iphone-price-may-fall-15/

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by admin
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      China Mobile (NYSE: CHL, 941.HK) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) have decided to rely upon handset subsidies to bring Apple’s iPhone to China, reports China Communications quoting an insider close to China Mobile. The would-be mobile partners are nearing the end of talks that aim to avoid passing on the relatively high price of iPhones to Chinese consumers by having Mobile subsidize the phones, said the insider. The new plan is intended to replace revenue sharing models that left earlier talks at a stalemate. China Mobile president Wang Jianzhou initially revealed iPhone negotiations in November, 2007.

via http://www.pacificepoch.com/newsstories?id=130848_0_5_0_M

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by admin
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