Analysis: Why BlackBerry’s lead over the iPhone won’t last

The BlackBerry Curve moved past the iPhone to become the top-selling consumer smart phone in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2009. But PC World's Jeff Bertolucci doesn't expect that trend to last.

Apple Reportedly in Talks with Verizon Over 2010 iPhone

It seems with the ending of the Apple/AT&T contract imminent, Verizon and Apple have renewed talks on bringing the iPhone to the nation's largest network, according to sources at USA Today. And though very little details have been divulged, all signs point to a 2010 target release date at the ...

Federal Trade Commission Investigating Apple-Google Ties

The New York Times reports that the Federal Trade Commission has begun an inquiry into the close ties between the board of directors at Apple and Google.

The reason for the inquiry stems from the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 which ...

iPhone OS 3.0’s parental controls to assuage some app submission woes?

Here's something that should help Trent reach a level of moderate contentment. Although we already knew that Apple was expanding its parental controls with iPhone OS 3.0 into the realm of TV shows, movies and App Store apps, a report today about the rejection of Makayama's Newspaper(s) app provides a good example at the ramifications of such alterations. According to iLounge, it was rejected due to a picture of a topless woman under the section for UK-based tabloid The Sun. The accompanying letter suggested a resubmission once 3.0 (and subsequently the parental controls) go public, which we take to mean that the questionable content will suddenly be okay for the App Store once it's behind the appropriate age gate. We won't know for sure until everything falls into place, but sounds like this is one part of the submission approval process that'll soon end up much less frustrating for developers.

[Via 9 to 5 Mac]

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone OS 3.0's parental controls to assuage some app submission woes? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 20:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiPb vs. the Media in ngmoco StarDefense Challenge!

ngmoco has gone and set up a little media tournament, taking place on Twitter, with their hawt new game, StarDefense. Suiting up on TiPb’s behalf is yours truly, and you can follow my progress, and everyone’s progress, through the elimination rounds via @ngmoco or individually:

• Rene Ritchie/the iPhone Blog (@reneritchie)
• Chris Foreman/Ars Technica (@foresmac)
• Brandon Boyer/Boing Boing (@brandonnn)
• Bryan Barletta/148Apps (@BryanNO)
• Eli Hodapp/Touch Arcade (@hodapp)
• Tracy Erickson/Pocket Gamer (@TracyErickson)
• John Davidson/What They Play (@jwdavidson)
• Victor Lucas/Electric Playground (@Victor_Lucas)
• N’gai Croal/Hit Detection (@ncroal)
• Patrick Kelpek/G4TV.com (@eXxy)
• Levi Buchanan/IGN

Best of luck and… bring it on!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb vs. the Media in ngmoco StarDefense Challenge!

Apple Sweeps Consumer Reports’ Laptop Recommendations

NYTimes reports that in the most recent issue of Consumer Reports, Apple's laptops rated highest across the 13", 14"-16" and 17" laptop categories.

Consumer Reports rates laptop computers on performance, ergonomics, versatility, displa...

Apple Rejects Service Update of Nine Inch Nails’ NIN: Access for Absurd Reason?

Review: Listomni Lists for iPhone

If you need a list to keep track of your lists, this powerful, full-featured list manager deserves a place on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Screen Grabs: Lil’ Kim “Download” video features sampling of Acer products, samples Zapp

Oop, looks like whoever was in charge of product placement coordination at Acer forgot to double-check Lil' Kim's new video for "Download" -- is that iChat and an iPhone sneaking in there? Regardless, most of the primary action between Kimmy, T-Pain and Charlie Wilson seems to be going down on an Acer Aspire One, and there's a prominent shot of the Acer M900 smartphone at the beginning. Oh, and the entire song is built around a sample of Zapp's "Computer Love," so we'll forgive the lyrics. Both videos after the break.

[Thanks, Anthony R]

Continue reading Screen Grabs: Lil' Kim "Download" video features sampling of Acer products, samples Zapp

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Screen Grabs: Lil' Kim "Download" video features sampling of Acer products, samples Zapp originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3.0’s Parental Controls to Loosen App Store Restrictions?

In the wake of Trent Reznor's vocal objection to Apple's App Store content-based rejection policies, it seems that the iPhone 3.0 update may provide the solution.

iLounge reports that Makayama's Newspaper(s) [App Store, $0.99] applicat...

Apple rejects NIN app update, Trent Reznor lashes out

Apple once again rejects a cool app for vague and arbitrary reasons. Only this time, they've opened a big can of worms in the form of Trent Reznor and the sizable Nine Inch Nails fan base.

3G service, satisfaction survey underway

Satisfied with your 3G service? Not so much? Wired is compiling a survey of 3G customers from around the U.S. in order to figure out which network is the best.

BlackBerry Overtakes iPhone as Bestselling U.S. Smartphone in Q1

Apple shouldn't get too comfortable with the success of their iPhone as Blackberry has regained the title of best-selling U.S. smartphone for the first quarter of 2009. According to data from NPD Group, the top 5 smart phones were:

1....

iTunes Connects Developers With Crash Logs

Ars Technica reports, with some very nice commentary and screen caps from Equivalence (iTunes link) for iPhone, that:

One of the most requested features from developers, automated crash reports, can now be submitted by users via iTunes 8.2. Developers can access the reports via iTunes Connect.

No code is every perfect, but anything that helps developers make their apps more solid for more users is certainly appreciated.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTunes Connects Developers With Crash Logs

Worms for iPhone screenshots revealed

Team17 has revealed these exclusive pictures of their classic invertebrate artillery game, Worms, playing on an iPhone. The classic version of Worms first released in 1995 and now they are bringing their original version to the iPhone.  Yeah, it's a logical step since iPhone has became a popular gaming platform. ...the ...

Myst makes its debut on the iPhone and iPod touch

Myst, the legendary first-person adventure game, is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Review: Now Playing for iPhone

This free movie listing app offers much more than just showtimes, giving you the ability to bookmark nearby theaters and keep tabs on coming attractions among other features.

iPhone 3.0: Predictive Text Enhanced?

Did iPhone 3.0 Beta 4 refresh the dictionary behind predictive text? Based on a few emails we’ve gotten it looks like Apple might just have altered — hopefully expanded and improved — the engine that tries to make multi-touch typing just automagically work.

Let us know if you’ve seen anything different in beta 4.

[Thanks Adam!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3.0: Predictive Text Enhanced?

Monday morning App Store shenanigans, NIN: Access edition

Filed under: Bad Apple, iPhone, App Store

Another week, another App Store scandal. Over the weekend, Apple rejected an update to the NIN: Access app (reviewed here) because of "objectionable content." The objectionable content? 1994's The Downward Spiral (iTunes link, also available in a deluxe edition here). Needless to say, Trent Reznor is a little upset (TUAW disclaimer, Reznor uses adult language, if this bothers you, avert your eyes or don't click the link).

This latest incident allows us to revisit other incidents of non-sensical approval decisions. In the case of Tweetie, Apple backed off the potential objectionable content claim and let the update through. In the case of craigsphone, the developer re-routed potentially "adult" content to Mobile Safari. As for South Park, well, it's still not in the App Store.

With a tour in progress, the developer of the NIN app has removed what he believes to be the objectionable file, but we'll need to wait to see if this (or the ensuing outrage over this stupid decision) will change Apple's mind.

As it stands, I can't help but be flumuxxed by the seemingly arbitrary nature of the App Store review process. When I reviewed NIN: Access, it was readily apparent that users had access to podcasts, remixes and music videos for the Nine Inch Nails catalog. I even thought to myself, "Well, I guess Apple got over the Craigslist-aphobia" and accepted that users who download the NIN: Access app know what they are getting into. Clearly, I was wrong.

So while apps that simulate killing an infant can actually make it into the store (and the PR nightmare is what ends up gettting it removed), apps that provide access to online content -- content that is available for sale via iTunes -- remains off-limits. Way to go!

[via TechCrunch]

Monday morning App Store shenanigans, NIN: Access edition originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 May 2009 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Monday morning App Store shenanigans, NIN: Access edition originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 May 2009 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Curve 83XX overtakes iPhone 3G in US smartphone rankings

The handset might've been surpassed in functionality and looks by its Curve 8900 successor, but nothing's got an edge on the BlackBerry Curve 83XX series in smartphone sales. According to NPD, the handset overtook the erstwhile champ iPhone 3G in the category for the first quarter of 2009, while BlackBerry's own Storm and Pearl handsets took the third and fourth slots, with the T-Mobile G1 rounding out the ranks in fifth place. Overall the smartphone market has grown from 17 percent of handset sales in Q1 2008 to 23 percent in Q1 2009. Compared to the previous quarter, RIM's gained a whopping 15 percent share of the US market -- owning nearly half of the entire scene -- while Apple and Palm both dropped 10 percent as they prep for their heroic mid-year launches.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

BlackBerry Curve 83XX overtakes iPhone 3G in US smartphone rankings originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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