Spare parts for iPhone next-gen show up in Hong Kong

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Even though the new iPhone is still hypothetical, imaginary phones need spare parts too. German site iphone-ticker.de reports that one of their readers contacted Hong Kong firm China Ontrade seeking replacement items for his iPhone 3G, and much to his surprise they told him

"This is great honor for China Ontrade (HK) chinaontrade.com to be the 1st started to supply iphone 3gen 2009 parts directly from factory."

Indeed, the photos sent along with the offer of parts for a yet-unannounced phone seem to show a black front bezel instead of chrome, a tapered bottom of the case (vs. the rounded end of the current model) and a revised headphone jack.

We'll keep an eye out for more photos of bits of the iPhone-in-waiting and pass them along when they appear.

Thanks to Ben and Nicholas for sending this in, and Heidi for translation assistance.

Spare parts for iPhone next-gen show up in Hong Kong originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spare parts for iPhone next-gen show up in Hong Kong originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next Generation iPhone Bezel Revealed?

iPhone Ticker first reported on new "Apple iPhone 3Gen 2009" parts listed for sale at parts supplier ChinaOnTrade.

It's hard to tell exactly what has changed from such a small part, but iLounge breaks down the changes that they...

Next Generation iPhone: Black Bezel, LCD Screen?

ChinaOnTrade.com, which sells iPhone parts reportedly directly from the factory, has thrown up some images and ordering options for 3rd generation iPhone bevels and screens.

If they’re to be believed, the iPhone loses its silvery-chrome outer ring for a black band (as previously rumored?) that seems to indicate Apple will be moving things around a tad — functionally as well as cosmetically?

Bad news for OLED hopefuls, as Gizmodo says the purported screen is still LCD, though iLounge points out it’s price is double that of the 3G screen ($73 vs. $35). Hmm…

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in, iFun.de for the catch, and BenM.at for the (translated) head's up!]

More pics after the break!

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

Next Generation iPhone: Black Bezel, LCD Screen?

AT&T Plans Network Upgrade to Delivery Faster 3G Mobile Broadband Speeds

Ads & iPhones: Facial hair fun with uArt

Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Adutainment, the art of mixing advertising and entertainment, has been popular in the iPhone app space since the App Store first opened. Grooming product giant Gillette has teamed with developer AIM Proximity on a fun little free app called uArt (click opens iTunes). uArt is the iPhone app equivalent of drawing mustaches and beards on pictures of people in magazines...not that I've ever done that...

You provide the photo, taking a shot of yourself or a friend with the iPhone camera, or importing a picture from Photos. After sizing and placing the photo with a pinch and a finger swipe, you can begin to have fun with the full beard that appears on the photo. A single control makes the beard and mustache go from sparse to bushy, while another control lets you apply the digital equivalent of "Just for Men" to the facial hair in 12 different colors and shades.

Now comes the really fun part: touching the shave button on the bottom of the screen brings up a virtual Gillette Fusion razor (it vibrates!) that you can use to trim or remove parts of the hair. Now you can see just how good or bad you'd look with a Fu Manchu. There's a way to save your work of tonsorial art and even give it a name before sending it to your friends.

Personally, I'm holding out for Rogaine(R) to sponsor a free hair-growing app. Be sure to check out the rogue's gallery of famous TUAW personalities below.

Thanks to Ivan for the tip!

Ads & iPhones: Facial hair fun with uArt originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ads & iPhones: Facial hair fun with uArt originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CIS issues free benchmark on iPhone security

The Center for Internet Security today released what it termed the industry's only consensus security benchmark for the iPhone.

Review: Art for iPhone

This app includes around 400 works of art to investigate. It's not an exhaustive collection, but it's a good start for students and novices.

iPhone Live! Tonight 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

iPhone Live! comes to you tonight (Wednesday, May 27) at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT.

Pre-show will start about 10 min. before if you want to drop by early. We’ll have the live chat going to take your questions. You can also leave us questions in the comments below, or send them to @theiphoneblog on Twitter.

Join in via http://www.tipb.com/live

Chat with you soon!

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

iPhone Live! Tonight 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

Review: DLO HybridShell Clear With Black Grips for iPhone 3G

The DLO HybridShell Clear with Black Grips for iPhone 3G is available from The iPhone Blog Store for $24.95. If you are looking for a clear plastic case with “grip”, this case might be for you!. Let’s see how it measures up after the break!

Design

The DLO HybridShell for iPhone 3G is a transparent plastic snap-on case for the iPhone. The case protects the back and sides. The openings are all precision cut, even the camera, to allow for easy access to all of the ports and switches on the iPhone. As a bonus, you even receive a screen protector to protect the screen.

Daily Use

The factor that attracted me to this case initially were the raised black rubber “bumps” on the bottom of the case. I think everyone would agree that out of the box, the iPhone can be a little slippery. After snapping on the case I immediately began placing the case on any surface I could find to see how it “stuck”. Keep in mind that there is no adhesive, simply solid rubber studs. I have to admit to my surprise it actually made a difference. Specifically in the car. Placing the case on the dashboard for example proved  non-perilous.

With these positives, there are inevitable downsides. The big one? Well, that same awesome non-slip behavior on surfaces also applies to your pant pocket. Though not impossible to wield, depending on how tight you wear your pants, the case can get “stuck” pulling it our of your pocket. Yes, those rubber studs work their magic in there too.

I typically shy away from snap-on cases because my biggest fear is that if the phone is dropped, the case will hit the ground and break apart. Not so with the DLO Hybrid Shell. Once this case is on, it stays on and can be very difficult to remove (I had to get my pocket knife to use as a prying tool to remove the case).

Conclusion

Overall I think this is an excellent case only brought back a tad from perfection by a couple issues including: no docking while in the case (you can still use the USB cable), sticks in your pocket and the case can be rather challenging to remove. This last one only would apply if you swap cases often). These sniggles aside, if you are looking for a clear case with screen protector and rubber grips, I think you can’t go wrong with this case. Its low-profile and ridged to serve the most abusive customers.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Case is compact
• Precision openings for accessing everything you need on your phone
• Back grips are nice
• Included clear screen protector is an added bonus

Cons:

• Case can get “stuck” in your jean pocket do to the rubber studs
• Case is very difficult to remove
• Not dockable from within case

TiPb’s Rating:

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

Review: DLO HybridShell Clear With Black Grips for iPhone 3G

Stop the presses! AP News for iPhone is a mess

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

My, my. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The Associated Press has updated the AP News app for the iPhone and iPod touch. They took a mildly aggravating program and turned it into a mass of bugs, freezes and GUI mistakes.

Let's start from the beginning. The iTunes store notified me that AP News 2.0 was available. Great idea. The older version wasn't too stable. I did the update, and it started asking questions, like 'where was I?' so the local news would kick in. I answered the question and went to the next screen. Lockup. I force-quit the app, and tried again. Blank screen, followed by a slow return to the iPhone home screen. Tried again. Same result. And so on.

Deleted the app, and then reloaded it again. Got past the location screen, and then was presented with endless options to configure the news I wanted. If the iPhone screen didn't scroll, this list would have extended all the way to the floor. I'll bet I missed some important news while I was fiddling with that screen.

Anyway, it's up and running. The GUI is not improved. Instead of getting the top national news stories I get a mixture of national, local, wacky and other stuff that it defaults to. I liked the old way where I got a whole scrollable screen of top national news. Now I get 2 stories before the other stuff shows up. You can change this setting, but no more than 5 stories in any category. Not exactly a tribute to free choice.

There are a lot of new features, mostly about customizing this app. You can now see stories in landscape mode, but here's a good one. The story lists won't work in landscape, only the individual stories, so you are constantly changing the orientation of the phone. You can localize the app to crash in Spanish or French, which I guess is an improvement. It also says there are major increases to stability. Really? This thing is a bug-fest.

Amazingly, the AP support page notes that many people will have trouble installing the app, and to download it again with WiFi. Hey, about making a proper installer so I don't have to do that? Gee whiz.

I don't think the people who developed this app have much of an idea about how people consume news, or how to make a simple and useful interface for controlling it. Judging from the reviews this new app is getting, it might be time for the AP to go back to the drawing board and start again.

Frankly, if you like this update, it will be news to the rest of us.

Stop the presses! AP News for iPhone is a mess originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stop the presses! AP News for iPhone is a mess originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 27 May 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone with Video + Twitter with Video = ‘Splosion of Video?

Tweetie, the uber-popular iPhone Twitter application, has a big desktop brother called Tweetie for Mac that’s just been updated to version 2.1 and one of the cool new features is support for adding video via the yfrog service (which previously handled static pictures).

iPhone 3.0 contains code that pretty much confirms we’ll be seeing video recording, editing, and sharing if not in the iPhone 3G then certainly in the next-generation iPhone expected to be announced on June 8 at WWDC 2009.

Put these two together and what do you get? The potential for not only a pocket video explosion, but a pocket video micro-publishing explosion as well.

A 4K (2160p) RED ONE camera might be drool-worthy, but even most pros won’t have it with them 24×7 when they chance upon that one great serendipitous moment. They might just have a video-enabled iPhone, however.

Likewise, sharing that video via MMS, email, or MobileMe, even YouTube is okay to great, but to immediately be able to push it out to all your Twitter followers? (Which suffers not the walled garden of Facebook).

Yeah, we live in interesting times!

(via @atebits and @llofte)

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

iPhone with Video + Twitter with Video = ‘Splosion of Video?

AT&T plans to boost 3G network speeds

AT&T on Wednesday announced that it will roll out faster 3G performance to its cellular network over the next three years.

AT&T grabbing more customers than ever with iPhone according to recent reports

Long considered a lure for carriers, Apple’s iPhone is now believed to be attracting a full third of those switching providers towards AT&T — the highest ever percentage of converts since the iPhone was released and more impetus for AT&T to keep the iPhone exclusive to them, though that probably won’t happen down the road. Of [...]

Firming Rumors: Apple readying three iPhones and a Nano with a camera

Apple will introduce a new version of its iPod nano with a wider screen and built-in camera later this year after first introducing three new iPhone models distinguished by their network hardware, according to a new report. Citing sources who’ve provided accurate descriptions of iPods and iPhones in years past, blog iLounge is confirming a recent [...]

Morgan Stanley, investment firm, says new iPhone will do well; upgrades Apple as a company

Arguing that the market is underestimating demand for iPhones over the next two calendar years, investment bank Morgan Stanley on Tuesday upgraded shares of Apple to Overweight from Equal-weight, saying success of the touchscreen handset should offset any growth risks in the company’s core Mac and iPod businesses. “We believe Apple is emerging as the clear [...]

More Verizon iPhone Rumors… In Time for WWDC?!

There’s been a lot of noise lately about Verizon and the iPhone. Sure, some could be wishful thinking. Some could be to manipulate the ongoing Apple/AT&T negotiations. But could there be anything more to it?

We’ve heard rumors that an iPhone nano/lite/mini could be coming, and coming to Verizon alongside an iPhone-esque iTablet/iPad.

Yesterday on MacBreak Weekly, Scott Bourne claimed a Verizon insider contacted him and told him “Verizon is getting their own iPhone and the announcement will be in June”. Sound like a WWDC 2009 “one more thing” for the ages?

This follows on our friend Duvi letting us know about a rumor posted on the CrackBerry.com forums:

It is confirmed that iphone is coming to vzw…date? Very soon…there is a training for all emp on the internal training intranet website.

Could be smoke and no fire, or it could be Verizon finally warming up the iPhone BBQ, what do you think?

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

More Verizon iPhone Rumors… In Time for WWDC?!

Painting created on iPhone makes it to the Cover of The New Yorker!

AT&T Announces Plans for 7.2 Mbps 3G Deployment

AT&T today announced its plans for deployment of HSPA 7.2 3G wireless technology topping out at 7.2 Mbps, doubling the speed of AT&T's current offerings and serving as an intermediate step to the deployment of LTE (4G) several years down the road. A...

Engadget’s recession antidote: win a mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G!

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got two of mophie's Juice Pack Air units, which promise to provide lots of extra iPhone 3G runtime while doubling as a case. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Major thanks to mophie for providing the gear!

The rules:

• Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly. Two winners will receive one (1) mophie Juice Pack Air iPhone 3G case / battery extender in Black. Approximate retail value is $79.95.
  
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Wednesday, May 27th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Engadget's recession antidote: win a mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Air to Finally get Built in 3G?

SiliconRumors (formerly MacScoop) reports that Apple is preparing an update to the MacBook Air that could finally include built-in 3G wireless networking.

The most notable feature our sources expect to be added to the new MacBook Air...