iPod

Apple to release unlocked iPhone in France

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Apple has announced that it will open up the iPhone. In an open letter posted to the Apple website last week, CEO Steve Jobs stated simply, "Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers' hands in February." The company is clearly responding to widespread criticism of the iPhone's locked status and they are wise to do so: enabling third party applications to run natively on the iPhone will only serve to make the device more attractive to consumers. "It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc," Jobs writes. Though details of the SDK have yet to be released, Jobs has stated that it will allow programmers to write applications for the iPod Touch as well.

But what about a SIM-unlocked iPhone? Due to the nature of its agreement with AT&T, Apple can't offer one in the U.S., at least not for another five years. The company has announced, however, that it will release a completely unlocked iPhone in France, to comply with a French law that prohibits the exclusive sale of locked phones locked to a provider. Orange (the carrier for the iPhone in France) has announced that the standard iPhone will retail for €399 and we can only assume that the unlocked iPhone will be more expensive. -Brian

For more on the recent announcements:
- read Jobs' letter

Related articles:
Apple working on third-party iPhone applications?
Apple at work on touch-screen PDA
Recapping Apple's European iPhone deals
Apple slashes iPhone price, offers mea culpa
Rumor: iPhone upgrades imminent
Hacking your iPhone: Windows users

Apple at work on touch-screen PDA

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Roughly a decade after terminating production of its Newton personal digital assistant, Apple is reportedly planning a return to the PDA market, putting the finishing touches on a touch-based device in the tradition of the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Citing sources close to the project, AppleInsider reports that the as-yet-unnamed PDA runs an embedded version of Apple's Mac OS X Leopard platform--the device is described as an ultra-thin "slate" resembling the iPhone, but at 1.5 times the size and with an approximate 720x480 high-resolution display that spans virtually the entire surface.

According to AppleInsider, Apple engineers have been at work on a PDA prototype for roughly 18 months, although the project's roots date back even earlier. During an appearance at the 2004 D: All Things Digital conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said he was proud of the products his firm has released in recent years, and also proud of the products it decided not to ship--asked by an audience member to elaborate, Jobs replied "An Apple PDA." Sources say the PDA development nevertheless ground to a halt as Apple pulled engineers of the project to meet its self-imposed June 2007 iPhone launch date.

Jobs is expected to officially announce the Apple PDA during his keynote Macworld appearance in January, with retail shipments to follow in mid-2008.

For more on Apple's PDA efforts:
- read this AppleInsider article

Related articles:
Recapping Apple's European iPhone deals
Apple slashes iPhone price, offers mea culpa
Rumor: iPhone upgrades imminent
iPhone battery life questioned
Hacking your iPhone: Windows users

Next-gen Apple devices like Zune?

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:59:58 -0400

A patent request uncovered by AppleInsider suggests that subsequent generations of Apple's iPhone and iPod portable media devices may employ wireless networks to receive automated software updates and interact with other Apple devices within close range--a platform similar to technology introduced by Microsoft in conjunction with its rival Zune product. In a September 1, 2006 filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple outlines "delivery of data to a portable electronic device from another electronic device" over a local wireless network. "In one embodiment, one mobile device discovers another mobile device within its vicinity," the filing continues. "The mobile devices can then wirelessly transmit data from one mobile device to the other. Typically, the mobile devices are associated with persons (users). The mobile devices, or their users, can control, request or influence the particular data content being delivered."

According to the filing, these devices would include a processor configured to discover, request and receive data from other electronic devices via wireless link. Beyond multimedia content including music, videos, photos and games, shareable data may include maps, user profiles and subscription content. "Users of data devices can also create and distribute content through data sharing," Apple writes. "The streaming can be limited so as to restrict the number of data devices simultaneously receiving the data. On the other hand, if the users of the data devices are subscribers to the streaming content (i.e., have a subscription), then the streaming can be unlimited as to subscribers." Premium audio and video could also be shared following purchase from a remote server.

The 37-page filing also details data transfer mediums including "Peer-to-Peer Data Sharing" between devices, "Local Data Sharing" over a local wireless network and a "Graphical User Interface" to facilitate delivery, exchange or sharing of data.

For more on the Apple patent filing:
-read this AppleInsider article

Related articles:
-Rumor: iPhone upgrades imminent
-iPhone battery life questioned

Linksys launches "iPhone"

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:01:37 -0500

The iPhone has launched... and it's a VoIP phone from Cisco subsidiary Linksys! If Apple ever does launch a mobile phone, I guess it will have to be called the iPod Phone Edition, or maybe the Phone Pro.

QUICKLINKS: Q&A with great programmers; Pictures: Nokia's Aeon concept phone; Much more...

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:01:35 -0400

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Five essential phone screening questions. Blog

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Ask.com launches mobile site. Website

Rumor: Apple planning wireless video iPod. Blog

Are "Widgets" the next portability nightmare? Blog

Jobs says Zune is no threat to iPod. Article

QUICKLINKS: LG Chocolate review; Mobile retail models in flux; Much more...

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:01:35 -0400

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Apple denies wireless iPod rumors. Blog

Opinion: Apple iPhone will be a downer

Mon, 29 May 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Oliver at MobileCrunch posted a great contrarian article: "Why the I-Phone will be Apple's huge blunder." In short, the iPod's greatest asset is its user interface and design. But that's a big problem for a cell phone: Browsing the Web, writing email and making voice calls are all very different tasks, and it is extremely difficult to create a device that does them all well. It's a whole lot harder than just worrying about audio playback. Blog

Simplifying the user interface

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:01:34 -0500

Helio's new phone, the KickFlip, and Motorola's new RAZR-esque W220 have one big thing going for them: a simplified user interface. Even though the phones are presumably targeted at a younger and more tech savvy audience, the manufacturers still believe they need to clean up and simplify the interface. Call it the iPod effect, I guess. Blog

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Mon, 14 Nov 2005 19:00:50 -0500

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IM usage up 25 percent in 2005. Blog

Windows Mobile Media versus the iPod. Article

PalmSource joins Linux phone standards forum. Release

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SMS Spoofing: The new age cyber crime. Article

QUICKLINKS: 21% of all phone users have tried mobile Internet; The lowdown on mobile TV; Much more...

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:00:50 -0400

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The live Java jobs aggregator. Web site

What is a smartphone? A great overview. Article

Mobile games act more like PC and console games. Article

Disney preps iPod video content. Article