Mobile Access Server in Snow Leopard

In the upcoming Snow Leopard Server, it seems that Apple will be introducing a new feature called Mobile Access Server which would allow iPhone users an alternate way to access corporate resources and services.Although it has been know for some time that Apple would be providing some sort of Remote Access features ...

Review: 3000 Awesome Facts Pro for the iPhone

This app from Nikolay Nachev is a pretty nifty collection of trivia.

IBM unveils Lotus Notes extension for iPhone

IBM introduced a beta release of Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.1, allowing iPhone users to enjoy the software's automatic syncing capabilities for e-mail and calendaring. The new beta will extend existing Lotus Domino capabilities that have previously been offered for the iPhone. The software release, which also includes plans to support ...

Finally, Wi-Fi only SlingPlayer for iPhone

SlingPlayer app for iPhone will be available on the App Store on Wednesday morning, according to a Sling spokesman. Unfortunately, since the company advises a 3G connection preferred to enjoy Sling on the go, this version is only working with Wi-Fi connection. Sling uses an internet media bridge to stream TV ...

Mophie Juice Pack Air giveaway!

It'll come as no surprise to hear that we love the iPhone 3G here at iPhone Buzz, but we're not such fans of its battery life.  A well-used iPhone 3G can fail to last the day, which is why we're also so keen on the Mophie Juice Pack Air.  Now, ...

iLike launches iPhone app

iLike today is launching new services for artists to connect with their fans. New features include iPhone applications, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace syndication. Using iLike's "turnkey system", musicians will be able to create iLike-branded iPhone apps. According to PCWorld: Most of these new features, while useful, are logical additions to increase iLike's ...

iPhone 3G now available for online order

Apple is preparing to release the next-gen iPhone in about a month from now, and apparently need to clear out inventories of existing models. U.S. Apple Store is now offering the iPhone 3G online with free shipping to your doorstep! The site writes: Start here to get your new iPhone. First, you'll check ...

Elvis lives on your iPhone!

A free Elvis application [iTunes link] is now available for iPhone owners. Elvis Presley Enterprises announced  it was releasing an iPhone app which allow fans to view newly released pictures and videos, listen to podcasts from Elvis Radio and live images from a camera at his longtime Memphis, Tennessee, residence, ...

GyPSii arrives on the iPhone

The location-aware, mobile social network application GyPSii has launched its free iPhone application [iTunes link] today. It allows users to create and share “geotagged” content in real time with friends. GyPSii delivers an all-in-one mobile social networking experience.  It allows people to instantly capture and share what they are actually doing, ...

Case-Mate iPhone 3G FUEL battery pack revealed

Now this seems pretty useful, if you ask me. The iPhone 3G FUEL is the latest offering from Case-Mate and offerings a way to carry your iPhone and boost your battery life at the same time. And that's a deal that you can't really beat. The FUEL makes it so you ...

SlingPlayer Mobile Appears in AppStore

On Wednesday, after what seemed to be forever in the techworld, Sling Media's SlingPlayer  appeared in the iTunes AppStore.  And, although the hotly anticipated app does allows users to watch TV over the internet, it does come at a heavy cost to the network and the wallet.First off, before we ...

New unibody design iPhone-chromatic pictures and video rendering? [Rumor updated]

Could these be the new iPhone that Apple may announce at WWDC09 on June 8, 2009? iPhone buzz just got an anonymous tip which included a boat load of rendered images and two short video clips labeled “iPhone unibody” and “iPhone nano”. Keep in mind that these are mere rendering ...

More Rumors of Limited Third-Party Background Apps Coming to the iPhone? [Updated]

Silicon Alley Insider has heard some rumors that seem to corroborate MacRumors' report from February that Apple is working on allowing limited background processes in a future version of the iPhone's operating system. Our sources had told us they w...

More Rumors of Limited Third-Party Background Apps Coming to the iPhone?

Silicon Alley Insider has heard some rumors that seem to corroborate MacRumors' report from February that Apple is working on allowing limited background processes in a future version of the iPhone's operating system. Our sources had told us they w...

Review: Terminator: Salvation for iPhone

A tie-in to this summer's blockbuster film, Terminator: Salvation feels rushed and unfinished.

Apple to Allow Limited Background Multi-Tasking for Apps in iPhone 3.0?

Business Insider rumormongers that Apple might be considering some limited form of multi-tasking, perhaps as early as iPhone 3.0, which would allow 3rd party apps to run as background tasks. They point to two possible models:

1. Apple might allow users to select two apps that can run in the background.
2. Apple might selectively allow some apps to run in the background. We assume that developers could apply for permission to run in the background, and that Apple might approve or deny them based on the resources they need and how well they behave with the operating system’s stability.

Daring Fireball steps up to throw a combo of water and fuel on that particular fire:

I heard something very similar from a decent (but second-hand) source back in January during Macworld Expo. What I heard then was that Apple was working on a vastly improved dock for your most-frequently used apps, and that there’d be one special icon position where you could put a third-party app to enable it to run in the background.

Gruber also rightly points out that the iPhone 3G’s 128MB of RAM is likely the constraining factor to current generation multitasking and that won’t change with the iPhone 3.0 firmware. If reports of at least 512MB of RAM in a 3rd generation iPhone are to be believed, however, this could be a much more compelling and powerful feature.

A dock that slides up like a slot-limited version of Google’s Android app shelf maybe? And one that grants background permission to anything placed inside it? Yes please.

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

Apple to Allow Limited Background Multi-Tasking for Apps in iPhone 3.0?

Apple Execs: Functionality, Price, Geography, Multiple SKUs All on the Table

Reporting on an analyst briefing that took place at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters with Apple Executives — including Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, if we’re reading it right — Apple Insider quotes this little nugget:

“iPhone is still in its early days and could gain share by: providing more functionality; lowering prices; growing geographically; or segmenting the market with different models.”

Of course, there’s nothing to say Apple will actually add features like a digital compass, lower the price to $99 on 8GB iPhone 3Gs, expand into China, or put out an iPhone nano or iTablet.

Scratch that there’s obviously a lot of reasons do at least some of those things, and likely over time, Apple will address every profitable avenue for doing all of them, and more…

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Apple Execs: Functionality, Price, Geography, Multiple SKUs All on the Table

Simplify Music for iPhone fixes nasty demo mode

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

The very popular Simplify Music [App Store link] iPhone/iPod touch app has now given users the option as to whether or not they want to see the 'demo' library.

At the end of last month the updated free desktop app and the iPhone app, $2.99US, were changed so that demo tracks were added to the list of user-provided music. The purpose was to provide some test music for new users that hadn't set the streaming up yet.

It was not really announced, or documented, and many users were unhappy to see the music tracks appear without their knowledge or consent. The app developers quickly added an on/off switch to the demo on the desktop version of the app, but had to submit a new iPhone version to the app store. That has been approved, and now the switch appears on the mobile app as well. The demo mode is now (happily) off by default.

I think the Simplify Media folks responded very quickly to something that provoked a lot of anger in the iPhone community, which was magnified by the popularity of the app. Once the controversy started, they were extremely transparent about how the change came about, and what the developers planned to do to correct it.

Check your app updates in iTunes to get the new version, which is 2.02.

All in all, a good model for how to deal with your customers (aside from the issue of having made the error in the first place).

Simplify Music for iPhone fixes nasty demo mode originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 15 May 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Simplify Music for iPhone fixes nasty demo mode originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 15 May 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3.0 “ChinaBrick” Reference Connected to China Mobile Demands for Disabling Wi-Fi and 3G?

In a move designed to make even notorious Wi-Fi stripper Verizon seem liberal by comparison, China Mobile’s outstanding demand that Apple strip the iPhone of both Wi-Fi and 3G if they want to sell to the worlds largest carrier just got an uncomfortable shot of “maybe” via Apple Insider:

while there’s no concrete information to suggest Apple would agree to make such concessions, references to “ChinaBrick” discovered in betas of iPhone Software 3.0 leave room for debate.

Also at issue, China Mobile wants control of the regional App Store. Without 3G or Wi-Fi, would there even be a point?

And we’d joked about AT&T…

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

iPhone 3.0 “ChinaBrick” Reference Connected to China Mobile Demands for Disabling Wi-Fi and 3G?

The Great iPhone App Store Profit Debate

Venture Partners guestimated, based on a survey from O’Reilly, that Apple has made “only” $20-$45 million from their 30% cut of App Store revenue since the service launched in July 2008.

To quickly recap, App Store developers can charge whatever they’d like for apps — including free as in $0 — and Apple will take 30% off the top, from which they pay storage, bandwidth, infrastructure, transactional processing fees, etc. Obviously 30% of free is nothing, but for $9.99 apps, they’d gross almost $3, and net… well, that’s anyone’s guess. (see above).

Techcrunch (via Daring Fireball) provides some interesting analysis on that point, and the larger point on just what Apple may be netting in total:

I think Liew’s numbers are well below the actual revenue numbers, but no matter if its $50 million, $100 million or $200 million, that’s not a huge amount of money for a company that has nearly $30 billion in cash in the bank. But going forward, that number is only going to increase both as the platform expands and as in-app purchases come into play. That’s not bad for a company that just wanted to make enough money to keep the App Store running.

Parallels to the iTunes Music Store, and what it did for iPod sales, are thus as plentiful as they are well founded.

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

The Great iPhone App Store Profit Debate