Apple Working On Audio Text Messaging For iPhone

Airtel Bringing iPhone 3GS to India, China Mobile Wants in on iPhone and iPad

While it’s easy to think the iPhone 3GS is everywhere now, TiPb still gets email asking when it will be in India, and on the largest carrier in the largest market in the world, China Mobile.

Well Macworld tells us Airtel has finally announced they’ll be bringing the iPhone 3GS to India:

New Delhi, March 19, 2010 : Bharti Airtel and Apple have reached an agreement to bring iPhone 3GS, the fastest most powerful iPhone yet, to India in the coming months. For information please visit www.airtel.in/iphone3gs. For more information on iPhone, please visit www.apple.com/iphone .

Meanwhile, Financial Times [registration required] reports that China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou is still interested as well, providing Apple addresses their special radio needs:

“including TD-SCDMA is not that hard to do – RIM is doing it”. But he added that Apple had not yet responded to his proposal.

MacRumors points out that while China Mobile is a monster, their 3G customer base remains small, but should grow from 3.4 to 10 million this year.

Either way, these represent two holes in Apple’s iPhone coverage and it’s nice to see at least one of them getting filled.

Airtel Bringing iPhone 3GS to India, China Mobile Wants in on iPhone and iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Apple iTunes App Store: Now Accepting iPad Apps!

An email has been sent out to developers telling them Apple is now accepting application submissions for the iPad App Store — a special category of the existing iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. 9to5Mac has the text:

iPad will begin shipping soon and your opportunity to be part of the grand opening of the iPad App Store starts today. Submit your iPad app now for an initial review by the App Review Team and receive feedback on its readiness for the grand opening. Submit Your App by March 27.

• Build and test your iPad app using iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 available on the iPhone Dev Center. Only iPad apps built with iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 will be accepted for this initial review.

• Upload your distribution signed app through iTunes Connect by Saturday, March 27, 5pm PDT.

• The App Review Team will review your app on iPad and email you details about the readiness of your app.

• You will also receive additional information about submitting your app for final review before iPad ships.

• Only apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store.

As TUAW points out, however, there’s some risk involved:

the simulator uses many Macintosh frameworks and libraries, offering features that are not actually present on the iPhone. Applications that appear to be completely operational and fully debugged on the simulator may flake out or crash on the device itself. You simply cannot fully debug any program solely by using the simulator and be assured that the software will run bug-free on the iPhone. Here at TUAW central, we’re assuming (or at least hoping) that Apple will be testing device builds on real devices.

+1 to that. It would no doubt annoy users not to have iPad-specific apps available on April 3. I would annoy them more if those apps crash due to never being tested on, you know, the actual iPad hardware they’re supposed to run on…

Apple iTunes App Store: Now Accepting iPad Apps! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Square used for fundraiser payments at SxSW

Filed under: iPhone

Square is a very cool piece of hardware for the iPhone and other smartphones; when combined with the Square service, you can accept credit card payments right on your iPhone. TechCrunch reports that charity:water used Square at SxSW to collect donations, and other uses are already cropping up; flower carts and political fundraisers, for instance.

If you haven't seen it in action, check out our in-person walkthrough from Macworld Expo, or the official YouTube video demonstration. The demo features Adam Lisagor (creator of Birdhouse for iPhone and part of my favorite podcast You Look Nice Today) and Jason Permenter, who walk through a very simple real-life scenario: what do you do if you want to sell something, like a couch, to someone who wants to pay with a credit card? Square not only makes it possible to do that, but it adds some cool features such as showing a picture of the buyer and seller on the iPhone to verify their identity.

Square was born after Jim McKelvey couldn't sell a piece of art because he couldn't accept a credit card, a process that has traditionally been complicated and expensive. Part of Square's vision has included charitable giving, where a donation of 1¢ is made from every transaction to a cause of your choice.

When I was growing up, using a credit card meant that the clerk had to reach under the counter, pull out a device where you would carefully line up the credit card, then put special receipt paper on it, including two carbon copies (remember carbon paper?), they would push the handle across the device and it would push the numbers on the card into the carbon paper, then they would hand it to you to sign, and then the clerk would take it back, pull out one of the carbon copies, and hand it to you. If you were standing in line behind someone paying with a credit card, you'd react much the same way people do these days if someone pays with a check. Nowadays those PIN-pad credit card readers are in all the major stores and at gas stations. Being able to accept credit cards is almost a necessity in today's world.

Square could give individuals and small businesses the same opportunity, using a device that millions of people are already carrying around in their pockets. Check it out; even if you aren't a seller, you may want to sign up for Square to be registered as a buyer once it's out of private beta.

Square used for fundraiser payments at SxSW originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square used for fundraiser payments at SxSW originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Has Started Accepting iPad Apps For The Grand Opening Of iPad App Store

Microsoft pulls Bing app from non-U.S. App Stores

Microsoft said the search engine app was 'inadvertently made it available to all countries' and has pulled them in favor of localized apps coming in the future.

Airtel says it will bring iPhone 3GS to India

Seven months after Apple’s self-imposed deadline flew by, Bharti Airtel finally announces that the iPhone 3GS is "coming soon" to India.

Apple sets March 27 deadline for first iPad apps

In an e-mail to iPhone developers, Apple says it will begin reviewing iPad applications on March 27 for inclusion in the "grand opening of the iPad App Store."

Apple Officially Invites Developers to Submit iPad Applications to App Store [Updated]

Apple today officially invited developers to begin submitting iPad applications to the App Store for inclusion in the grand opening of the iPad App Store at its launch on April 3rd. In the e-mail sent to developers, Apple invites app submiss...

Apple Patent Reveals Work On iGroups For iPhone - Proximity Based Social Networking

Report Blames Screen Supplier Wintek for iPad Delays

DigiTimes reports on an article from Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times claiming that Apple's touchscreen manufacturing partner Wintek is the source of issues that have slightly delayed the release of the ...

Apple files mobile social networking patent request

A patent request shows Apple may be developing a mobile social networking application for the iPhone.

Need an iPad case? Take your pick

You pre-ordered your iPad, but how are you going to protect it when you're out and about? Vendors galore have announced and previewed all manner of iPad cases, and we've rounded them up for you.

Review: Pocket Informant for iPhone

This $10 productivity tool is a beast of an app -- and we mean that as a positive. Dense and feature-rich, Pocket Informant aims to replace the iPhone's built-in calendar and serve as a task/to-do list manager, too.

Bharti Airtel will sell iPhone 3GS in India

Filed under: iPhone

Bharti Airtel has announced that it has reached an agreement to sell the iPhone 3GS in India. Bharti Airtel is the largest cellular service provider in India, with more than 124 million subscribers. In a statement, Bharti Airtel said the agreement would allow Bharti to bring the latest iPhone to India "in the coming months" without setting an exact release date.

The iPhone 3G has been sold in India by both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone since August 22, 2008, but the iPhone 3GS has yet to go on sale. Most Indian service providers struggle to ensure decent call quality and while the rest of the world is preparing to adopt 4G, India is gearing up to welcome 3G. The announcement came a day after Bharti submitted its bid in a bandwidth auction for 3G mobile telephony services in India. The successful bidders will be allowed to offer 3G services on a commercial basis from September 1st. At present, no deal has been announced for the iPhone 3GS at Vodafone.

Bharti Airtel will sell iPhone 3GS in India originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bharti Airtel will sell iPhone 3GS in India originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Etude offers sheet music, piano instruction

Wonder Warp Software on Wednesday released Etude, a musical teaching tool for those just learning piano or wanting to expand their repertoire.

Researcher Set to Announce 20 Zero-Day Holes in Mac OS X

The H Security reports (via The Inquirer) that noted cybersecurity researcher Charlie Miller is set to announce the discovery of twenty new zero-day holes in Mac OS X that could offer hackers means of entry to compromise computers running the...

Square-Enix Shows Off New iPhone RPG – Chaos Rings

Square-Enix has been quite busy developing for the iPhone/iPod touch with the recent release of both Final Fantasy 1 and 2, and now Chaos Rings.

Make no mistake, this is no Final Fantasy but if you love turn-based battles it does look very promising. No official release date or price has been mentioned but we will be sure to fill you in on the details as they are released.

Check out the full trailer after the break and let us know what you think!

Square-Enix Shows Off New iPhone RPG – Chaos Rings is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

iPad Early-Access Developers Sworn to Secrecy

It’s no secret that Apple loves secrecy, so it comes as little surprise when Business Week reveals the hoops those lucky developers with early access to iPad hardware have to jump through:

Would-be testers of the tablet-style computer, due to be released Apr. 3, must promise to keep it isolated in a room with blacked-out windows, according to four people familiar with the more than 10-page pact that bars partners from disclosing information about the iPad.

To ensure that it can’t be removed, the iPad must also remain tethered to a fixed object, said the people, who asked not to be named because their plans for the iPad have not been made public. Apple (AAPL) won’t send out an iPad until potential partners send photographic evidence that they’ve complied.

And who are these few, these privileged, these no doubt monitored with a near Sauron-esque eye? Outside of “top developers” who Apple really wants to bring to the iPhone platform, no one is saying.

Of course we know Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal have one under lock and key. Who else could there be? We’re hoping for Hulu, of course! Which other major players would Apple — and would you — like to see on the iPad?

iPad Early-Access Developers Sworn to Secrecy is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

In Stock: Jabra STONE Bluetooth Headset for iPhone

In Stock: Jabra STONE Bluetooth Headset for iPhone

The Jabra Stone [$109.95 (15% off) - TiPb Store link] is a headset featuring a completely new, ground-breaking shape – a sleek and elegant design that, even when placed in the charger, easily fits into the palm of your hand.

The Stone features advanced noise cancellation without the boom arm on your face, allowing it to be discreet without compromising on audio quality, and comes with its own portable charging unit – making it possible to charge when and wherever you want – no strings attached.

Combining stunning aesthetics with unrivaled technology, the Jabra STONE mobilizes the next generation of noise canceling, Noise Blackout Extreme, which uses dual microphones to reduce background noise while carrying your voice true and clear. Plus, Jabra STONE’s soft rubber padding makes it so comfortable you don’t even realize you’re wearing it.

Learn more about the Jabra STONE at the TiPb iPhone accessory store…

In Stock: Jabra STONE Bluetooth Headset for iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog