Hack to Enable MMS on iPhone 2G running iPhone OS 3.0

Because you can never have enough iPhone news… three more stories

Filed under: iPhone

While most of us at TUAW (in the US, anyway) are staring out the window, running down the clock to hit the lake or ocean or pavement in some manner, the intrepid bloggers of Engadget never take a vacation. Here are three* iPhone stories they posted today:

Apple patent applications offer glimpses of haptic screens, RFID readers, fingerprint ID
Oh man, haptics on the iPhone would be so sweet, and finally give us a little more than annoying clicks when typing. RFID and fingerprints? Well, that I'm not so keen on.

Apple patching nasty iPhone SMS vulnerability
Good ol' security maven Charlie Miller poked into the soft underbelly of the iPhone and discovered a pretty gnarly SMS hack that could potentially have your phone activating GPS, the phone's mic, and other nastiness. Perfect setup for a Tom Clancy novel or totally scary vulnerability? Read the HotHardware piece and see for yourself.

iPhone facing potential trademark issues in China?
Yeah, who'd have thunk there would be a trademark dispute over the name iPhone in China, right? Funny thing is, Apple has a trademark on iPhone in China... just not on mobile phones. Oops.

[Thanks to the tipsters who sent these in a while ago, there's fresh beer in the fridge in the garage!]

*OK, four stories. MG Siegler over at TechCrunch has a linkalicious report on Facebook's upcoming new iPhone app featuring... video uploads! (gasp, applause, nausea, use as directed)

Because you can never have enough iPhone news... three more stories originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Because you can never have enough iPhone news... three more stories originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone is humongous for AT&T

Filed under: Retail, iPhone

Mac Daily News and other sources are reporting today on a leaked AT&T memo that states that the company retail stores had their best day ever with the launch of the iPhone 3GS.

"iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here's a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year's launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008's iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 - all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008's launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours."

If the numbers are accurate, the iPhone blew by most analyst predictions that the iPhone would not sell as well as the 3G iPhone released last summer.

Even better news, numbers like these should give Apple some leverage to force the wireless giant to improve what for many is a mediocre experience using the AT&T network. The iPhone exclusive is up next year, and rumors persist that Apple is talking to other carriers, most notably Verizon.

via Mac Daily News and TechCrunch

iPhone is humongous for AT&T originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone is humongous for AT&T originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WWDC Demo: Zombies, a modern update of Daleks (preview)

Filed under: WWDC, iPhone, iPod touch

I can't count the number of hours I spent at the UT Music Library on a Performa or Quadra or Centris (I had a Centris 610 at the time) playing Daleks. Strangely addicting but incredibly simple, the game mechanic has been repeated often in the casual game universe, and Daleks was essentially a rip of Robots on UNIX. You try to get away from something, one step at a time, as those somethings inch ever closer, one step at a time. It's turn-based "tag." There's a terribly unsatisfying and buggy version called SuperDaleks for OS X here.

Zombies is a bit of an update for the venerable classic, although there's also a classic game called Zombies using the very same mechanic -- nothing new under the sun, eh? But intead of dusting off that old IIsi, you can play Zombies on your iPhone or iPod touch. The developer added spells, allowing you to do something out of the norm each round. So, for example, you could teleport (sometimes seen in variations of this game). You can also destroy zombies with a spell, handy when you're in a no-win position.

The preview you see here is the unfinished version, but it's shaping up to be a pleasant reimagining of a classic. We'll post on Twitter when it's available.

WWDC Demo: Zombies, a modern update of Daleks (preview) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WWDC Demo: Zombies, a modern update of Daleks (preview) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: MobileStudio for iPhone

This excellent and powerful application for managing files is not necessarily for the average user. But power users with a lot of file-management demands will find that MobileStudio fits the bill nicely.

Quick App: Rolando 2 Quest for the Golden Orchid for iPhone

Rolando 2 Quest for the Golden Orchid [$9.99 - iTunes link], available now for the iPhone (and iPod touch) shows that Ngmoco not only takes great gaming concepts and beautifully renders them on the iPhone, but that they can make those great concepts and renders even better.

New gameplay includes a 3D stylized world, driving, swimming, and flying, and — now the Rolandos can fight back!

The first Rolando game won TiPb’s Editor’s Choice Award last time around, how does the new one stack up? If you give it a try, let us know!

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

Quick App: Rolando 2 Quest for the Golden Orchid for iPhone

Thursday Fun Video: Britney Spears Has iPhone on her Radar

Well, well, what do we have here? Seems one Britney Spears is using an iPhone in her new music video, Radar. Leanna assures us it’s at the very beginning, so if your head is turned more by gadgets than starlets, you can get your fix early before you lose an ear or anything.

However, if you love some Britney vids, enjoy the double pop-culture dose.

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

Thursday Fun Video: Britney Spears Has iPhone on her Radar

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! #17 — 3.1 Beta!

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Dieter and Rene discuss the iPhone 3.1 Beta, the return of Steve Jobs (and Fake Steve), iPhone 3GS news, and questions from the live chat. Listen in!

Sponsored by the TiPb iPhone Store.

Check out the Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

iPhone 3.1 and OS News

• Speaking of charge cases, TiPb got the tip that some chargers were having trouble under 3.0, but that Apple knows about it and will be fixing it soon in 3.1…
• And lo and behold, they’ve already gone and released the iPhone 3.1 beta just in time for iPhone Live!
• New features include BT support for Voice Control, Save As for video editing, and more!
• As always, Jailbreakers are warned to avoid 3.1 until the Dev-Team gives the all-clear
• Don’t expect an iPhone 3GS jailbreak/unlock any time soon though…
• 3.1 is also good news to users experiencing MobileMe account and random icon bugs

General News

• Heeeeeee’s Baaaaaack: Steve Jobs returns to Apple
• Heeeeeee’s ALSO Baaaaaack: Fake Steve returns as well
• We get it, the iPhone 3GS is faster than fast fast
• Mobile YouTube Uploads Increasing 400% PER DAY Since iPhone 3GS Launch
• European Union: One Phone Charger Shall Rule them All — And Apple’s agreed?!
• iPhone 2G Turns Two Years Old!

How To

• TiPb Has iPhone 3G 3.0 Jailbreak Guides for Mac OS X and Windows PC

From the Forums

• One of our favorite threads, started by SM12, has just been given new life by the iPhone 2G birthday — what phone did you have before the iPhone?
• With iPhone 3.1 just around the corner, Ivoryplum wants to know what you’d like to see in the next iPhone OS update?

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

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

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! #17 — 3.1 Beta!

iPhone facing potential trademark issues in China?

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone facing potential trademark issues in China? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, then files a patent for a karaoke player

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Bad Apple, Apple, iPhone, iPod touch

As if the waters surrounding the App Store approval process weren't murky enough, one developer has just hit an unprecedented wall. Apple rejected his app, iKaraoke, citing that it duplicated functionality of the iPod application. Of course, the "duplicate functionality" reason is nothing new, but Apple's next step is: just a few weeks after rejecting the application, they have filed a patent for including karaoke functionality into the iPod app.

A brief look at the demo iKaraoke's website will quickly tell you that, while the app does bear a light resemblance to some of the menus found in the iPod application, the actual interface that the user interacts with to select and download a song is far from duplicating the iPod's polished interface. Another key point is that the file format used by iKaraoke is known as the .kar format -- an unofficial extension of the MIDI specification that enables lyrics to appear in time with music. The lyrics are then displayed on the screen, and highlighted as the song is played. Does any of this sound like functionality found in the iPod app? We didn't think so.

So what exactly was duplicated then? According to apple, iKaraoke "duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application, iPod, without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality." But they didn't just stop there. The reviewer went on to say that the application "downloads media files that are not managed by the iTunes application, which also manages media files, we believe this would be confusing to the user." Now, hold on a minute here... it's fine for several other apps to stream and download media files that are supported by the iPod without being managed by iTunes, but it's not OK for an app to download media that isn't natively supported, and provide functionality that isn't natively provided by the iPod?

This wouldn't be much different from your typical app rejection if the story stopped there, but it doesn't. This morning, Apple filed a patent [application here] which details built-in Karaoke functionality being added as part of the iPod application, with some additional bells and whistles such as monitoring the pitch of the user's voice. So it seems the functionality that was duplicated is functionality that Apple has not yet released, and possibly not yet even begun to develop. Maybe the $99 iPhone Developer Program fee should include a crystal ball for testing apps before submitting them.

As with the many other patents Apple has filed, this feature may never see the light of day. But is it really acceptable to reject an application, based solely on what appears to be a duplication of a feature that may or may not even be released in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

App Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, then files a patent for a karaoke player originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, then files a patent for a karaoke player originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple might bring Tactile Feedback to iPhone’s Touchscreen

Jailbroken iPhones leave users more vulnerable

Jailbreaking an iPhone leaves users more vulnerable to attack by stripping away most of its security protections.

iLaugh, therefore I exist

Filed under: Humor, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch

Jokes are relative. What's hysterically funny for one person may not even crack a smile on another person's face. iLaugh [App Store], a database of over 50,000 jokes for the iPhone and iPod touch from developer Azure Talon, uses sheer volume of bon mots to ensure that you'll be able to find a funny story for just about every taste.

You can pick from a variety of genres from Animals to Yo Mama!, and turn on/off sex or rude jokes as well as important categories such as Chuck Norris Facts. Each joke or story can receive a thumbs up or down from you and other iLaugh users, and the app allows you to filter out jokes that don't meet a certain minimum score.

Want to share a laugh with friends? iLaugh has Facebook and Twitter buttons that send the joke on to the rest of the world, and you can also use cut & paste on iPhone OS 3.0 devices to email the offending lines to your friends.

All of the chuckles are available for US$0.99, and iLaugh would be a smart purchase to make before those 4th of July picnics.

iLaugh, therefore I exist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iLaugh, therefore I exist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Concerns of iPhone 3GS Overheating and Discoloration Gaining Publicity

Last week, Nowhere Else began receiving reports [Google translation] from owners of the white iPhone 3GS that had experience significant overheating, leading in some cases to distinct pink or brown discoloration on the iPhone's back case. A later re...

And yet more out the box thinking: Apple working towards fingerprint based controls

Filings from Apple over the past two years reveal that the company is constantly looking to improve upon the ways in which customers interact with its multi-touch devices, the latest of which proposes methods for controlling iPods and iPhones by detecting and using a user’s fingerprints. More specifically, the filing lodged with the United States Patent [...]

Yet another Apple patent in the works: Active Packaging

Known for thinking outside the box, Apple is now apparently working on an in-the-box concept that could provide power to iPods, iPhones and other electronics devices still inside their retail packaging, allowing them to display demo videos and receive firmware updates while hanging unopened on a shelf in a retail store. In a new patent filing [...]

More iPhone App Controversy with Alleged Underaged Nudity

Wired reports on the latest high profile app removal from the App Store related to nudity. This time, a free app called BeautyMeter was removed due to an inappropriate image of a nude minor.

The photo ... depicts a photo of a nude ...

New Apple patents promise to make reminders the easiest thing ever

Now with the release of the 3.0 OS iPhone has basically caught up with the traditional smartphones in functionality, it may be time to look how Apple can make the next generation devices even smarter. We’ve already seen some of the things, like integration between Mapping and Calendar app in recent Apple patent filings. Some new [...]

iPhone Patent Watch: Haptics, Biometrics, RFID, and… Karaoke?!

A slew of new Apple patent applications have come to light covering a rather odd range of functionality that may — or may not — make it into future iPhone software and hardware models.

First up is haptic feedback via a “grid of piezoelectronic actuators”, which would provide a varied tactile response when touching the iPhone screen to better orient users (and let them type without locking their eyes on the keyboard, ideally).

Second is a technology that seeks to identify fingerprints — i.e. not only that a user has touched the screen, but which specific finger touched the screen. So, for example, touching with the index finger would produce a different reaction than touching with the middle finger.

Third is for placing a RFID (radio frequency identification) reader in the screen so that, in addition to finger touches (and multi-touches), it could identify the unique tag given to objects as well.

Lastly is a method for letting users sing to the iPhone, and having the iPhone provide feedback on tone, pitch, etc. Basically, rating the quality of your karaoke — or of the latest pre-packaged Hollywood auto-tune single, we imagine.

Again, there’s no telling when, or if at all, Apple will release real-world products based on these patents, but they do give some hint as to which direction(s) Apple’s thinking.

Anyone want any of the them now?

[Via MacRumors twice]

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

iPhone Patent Watch: Haptics, Biometrics, RFID, and… Karaoke?!

Apple patching serious SMS vulnerability on iPhone

Apple is patching a serious SMS vulnerability in the iPhone, a security researcher said.