UK watchdog bans ‘really fast’ iPhone TV ads

Filed under: Bad Apple, iPhone

The BBC reported today that a TV ad for the iPhone has been banned in the UK by the government's advertising standards watchdog group for being misleading.

The Advertising Standards Authority received 17 complaints about the ad above, which showed web pages, the Maps application, and mail attachments loading in fractions of a second. The group said that the ad "led viewers to believe that the device actually operated at or near the speeds shown," the BBC story read.

The ASA said after reviewing the complaints, "Because we understood that it did not, we concluded the ad was likely to mislead."

Apple argued that the claims in the spot were "relative rather than absolute in nature," comparing the 3G speeds to the speeds of the first-generation iPhone. Nevertheless, the ad cannot be run on UK airwaves again in its current form.

One of the complainants was a man named Roger Browning, who said in a post at The Guardian that he complained about the advertisement as retribution for a bad customer support experience he had with O2.

Apple has run afoul of the ASA before, with a claim in August that the iPhone could view "the whole Internet." Since the iPhone doesn't support Flash and Java, the agency decided the ads were misleading, and yanked them off-air.

[Via MacDailyNews.]

UK watchdog bans 'really fast' iPhone TV ads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UK watchdog bans 'really fast' iPhone TV ads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TouchArcade: Second-generation iPod touch faster than iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch

TouchArcade interviewed Handheld Games Corp's Thomas Fessler, who noted an interesting bit of the company's research: Second-generation iPod touch devices are significantly faster than their predecessors when it comes to 3D rendering.

In fact, it's faster than both iPhone models as well. In its tests, the iPhone 3G ranked second, the original iPhone third, and the first-generation iPod touch lagged behind in fourth. Fessler is paraphrased in the interview, even suggesting he would not recommend anyone interested in gaming to buy a used first-generation iPod touch.

The primary difference is a faster processor: The second-generation iPod touch has a 532 MHz processor. The iPhone, iPhone 3G, and first-generation iPod touch all have 412 MHz processors.

Fessler also speculates in the interview that the GPU has also been improved, but has no evidence to support that claim. These performance differences may also explain why certain apps only run on second-generation iPod touch devices.

TouchArcade: Second-generation iPod touch faster than iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TouchArcade: Second-generation iPod touch faster than iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iconfactory debuts Frenzic for iPhone

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone

Iconfactory and ARTIS Software have released Frenzic for iPhone, a fast-paced puzzle game that matches the piece and color combination skills of Bejeweled with a series of pie-shaped game boards.

The game is an ideal timewaster -- my favorite kind of game -- perfect for waiting in line or on the subway.

Frenzic starts off easy enough: you're presented with a colored pie slice, and you must move it from the center of the game board to one of six other pies. Simply complete each pie with six pieces of any color, though matching colors wins extra points and bonuses. A video showing how the game is played is available here.

As you progress, the time you have available to park the current pie slice decreases. Gameplay gets challenging when you are given a piece for a position you already have six of: then you lose a life.

Continue reading Iconfactory debuts Frenzic for iPhone

Iconfactory debuts Frenzic for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Iconfactory debuts Frenzic for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28

Filed under: iPhone

Walmart will be taking a pass for most of the holiday shopping season with one particular item: the iPhone. It will begin selling the handset December 28, according to Jamie Townsend, of research firm JRPG.

Boy Genius Report also notes that the phone will be sold in some Sam's Club stores as well. The blog broke the news about Walmart's talks with Apple, but originally said the smartphone would hit shelves last Saturday.

Walmart seems to be capitalizing on post-holiday shopping fervor, with BGR's Zach Epstein speculating, "Won't people be happy when they find out Apple's handsets popped up at discount prices three short days after Christmas?" It depends on how meager Christmas is, I suppose.

The handsets will apparently be activated in-store. No pricing details were released.

Walmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China Mobile making things complicated?

Filed under: iPhone

China Mobile, the service provider in talks with Apple to distribute the iPhone in the world's most populous country, is still expressing interest in selling the handset, but has plans to open its own online app store.

According to Macworld, Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman and CEO, said at a recent conference that "We will set up our own shop, and we hope, welcome all content providers to sell their software applications and games and songs and any other products in our application shop."

Cult of Mac's Ed Sutherland notes that Apple and China Mobile are still in talks to bring the handset to China, according to Wang.

Dan Nystedt of the IDG News Service speculated that China Mobile's app store would sell apps for Linux- and Symbian-based mobile phones, but it's unclear how this will affect China Mobile's burgeoning relationship with Apple.

Apple, of course, already has the iTunes store, which offers music, games and apps for the iPhone platform. China Mobile's store is unlikely to interfere technically with the iPhone/iTunes ecosystem, but it would compete financially with Apple's offering. Not that there's anything wrong with competition, of course.

An agreement with China Mobile would mean having the iPhone available to a market of 400 million existing subscribers, and perhaps millions more new subscribers. For comparison, the total population of the United States last year was just over 300 million people.

China Mobile making things complicated? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Mobile making things complicated? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan

Filed under: iPhone

The iPhone 3G will be officially arriving in Taiwan during the month of December, according to Kaddy Chung and Adam Hwang of Digitimes.

Chunghwa Telecom will be "exclusively" offering the phone for sale, but did not release any details about pricing or when exactly it will hit store shelves. Gray market handsets have been available in the country for as much as NT$28,500 (≈ US$865).

According to NetworkWorld, the iPhone might be next destined for China, as a release in Taiwan suggests that Chinese language support is finished (or nearly so).

[Via Cult of Mac.]

December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan

Filed under: iPhone

The iPhone 3G will be officially arriving in Taiwan during the month of December, according to Kaddy Chung and Adam Hwang of Digitimes.

Chunghwa Telecom will be "exclusively" offering the phone for sale, but did not release any details about pricing or when exactly it will hit store shelves. Gray market handsets have been available in the country for as much as NT$28,500 (≈ US$865).

According to NetworkWorld, the iPhone might be next destined for China, as a release in Taiwan suggests that Chinese language support is finished (or nearly so).

[Via Cult of Mac.]

December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Ars Technica's Justin Berka quotes MacBlogz, which claims a source at AT&T confirmed that tethering for the iPhone will closely resemble the phone-as-modem plans already available for BlackBerry.

The plan will cost at least $30 a month, and the cost will be rolled into a new plan for the iPhone. The source said that the plan will cap data transfer at 5GB, and AT&T will terminate the tethering connection if you go over the limit.

Also mentioned is the connection process: iTunes may be required to at least set up the initial tethering configuration, and may be required every time you connect.

Speeds will apparently start at 30kbps for areas serviced only by GPRS, and top out at 1000kbps for a really spectacular 3G connection. No release date was mentioned.

All this comes from deepest Rumorland, of course, so all due caution is advised. MacBlogz says the source has worked at AT&T for "some time now" and the rumor could be taken "relatively seriously."

Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ars: AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

According to iPhoneHellas.gr, version 2.2 of the iPhone firmware will be made available on November 21. The site says that the tipster is "reliable" but offered few details. Gizmodo calls the site "consistently reliable."

The tipster did say, however, that the update will not contain Greek keyboard support. Rumor has it that the update will contain:

• Street View, public transportation and walking directions for Maps
• An always-visible search field in Safari
• A rating request before you delete an app
• The ability to download podcasts directly to your handset
• Location sharing via email
• Support for Emoji icons
• An option to turn off auto-correction

There is still no word, of course, about the most requested and elusive of options: copy and paste. Gizmodo seems to think that -- if the release date is indeed on the 21st -- the major features of the update have been frozen. Looks like we'll have to wait until 2.3.

[Via O'Grady's PowerPage.]

iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhoneHellas: 2.2 coming November 21 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Backup Extractor helps kill bugs dead

Filed under: Developer, iPhone

iPhone developer Pádraig Kennedy sent us news of this jewel of a tool: iPhone Backup Extractor, a way to read the backups that iTunes automatically makes for your iPhone or iPod touch using the Finder.

Kennedy already had a command-line tool to do this, but he wrapped an easy-to-use GUI around the whole process. Just select a backup, select an application, and away you go.

What makes this useful, writes ADC award-winning iPhone developer Craig Hockenberry, is that it allows developers to track down customer bugs that they can't reproduce themselves.

"You can instruct your customer to download the application, sync their device with iTunes and then have them select the latest backup and your application within that backup. ... Getting this information into your development environment is then just a matter of hacking around with the Simulator folder structure."

"The bug won't stand a chance at this point."

iPhone Backup Extractor is donationware, Leopard-only, and available directly from Kennedy's site (which has the best URL ever, incidentally).

iPhone Backup Extractor helps kill bugs dead originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone Backup Extractor helps kill bugs dead originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.D. Power survey ranks iPhone highest

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone

J.D. Power and Associates released the results of a survey today, showing Apple's iPhone ranked highest in terms of customer satisfaction among 1,388 business wireless customers queried between August and September.

Apple scored 778 (out of 1,000), higher than Blackberry-maker RIM (703) and Samsung (701). The scores were derived from survey answers in five categories: ease of operation, operating system, physical design, handset features, and battery aspects.

Apple owners reported the highest average purchase price for a smartphone, $337. Motorola owners paid the least, averaging $169. The average across all smartphone brands was $216.

The survey also found that a quarter of all smartphone users have at least one software-related problem with their current handset. Forty-four percent had to reboot their device at least once a week. Sixty-nine percent own a hands-free device, and 74 percent of them are wireless.

[Via Macworld.]

J.D. Power survey ranks iPhone highest originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

J.D. Power survey ranks iPhone highest originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T exec confirms iPhone tethering on the way

Filed under: iPhone

How's this for a telephone game: Technologizer's Harry McCracken reports that AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega told Michael Arrington that the iPhone will be allowed to work as a tethered wireless modem for notebooks. It will be available "soon." Allegedly.

Our own Mike Schramm noted possible correspondence from Steve Jobs himself in late August suggesting that talks were already underway with AT&T.

We all know it's technically doable. Both NetShare and iModem take care of tethering quite nicely. The sticky wicket is getting AT&T's permission: the strain could be too much for the telco's 3G network to bear.

At this point, we don't know if AT&T's plans to allow tethering include any rate increases or bandwidth caps. Got any theories? Let us know by leaving a comment.

AT&T exec confirms iPhone tethering on the way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T exec confirms iPhone tethering on the way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes

Filed under: Security, iPhone, iPod touch

Ziphone creator Piergiorgio Zambrini has discovered a bug with the iPhone that causes the phone to crash when it starts to play a specially-created video. Forbes.com recorded a demonstration.

The bug apparently affects the audio track of the video, which takes down the iPhone operating system. I could not independently verify the bug, because the links to the movie (and the movie file itself) shown to Forbes were no longer available online.

The bug does not permanently damage devices, according to Zambrini. He said he hasn't yet contacted Apple's security response team. Forbes.com informed an Apple spokesman about the flaw and is still awaiting an official comment.

Zambrini claims he emailed Steve Jobs personally about the bug; around the same time, he applied for employment at Apple. Apple has not yet responded to his resume. It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house.

In the Forbes.com article, Zambrini now claims his goal "...is not to work for Apple."

Zambrini created Ziphone, a popular iPhone unlocking tool.

Thanks, Taylor!

Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Pictures: Street View, Safari for iPhone 2.2

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Following up on our report yesterday, a new tipster sent us screenshots of the Maps and Safari applications, highlighting changes on the way in iPhone firmware 2.2.

Apple looks like they're maximizing the income they make from offering a Google search option by cramming a search box in next to the address field. In the current firmware, the search field only appears when the address field is tapped.

As we mentioned yesterday, Google and Apple have also worked out a way to include Google Street View. It doesn't work quite the way I thought, but is much like Android's implementation nevertheless: Tapping on an icon of a human torso (according to our tipster) rotates the screen and displays Street View. Then, you can pan around the scene with your finger, in a 360-degree panorama. Our tipster says "the entire experience feels snappier than 2.1, very very fast in general."

Soon to be available in Maps is a new "Share Location" button that drafts an email with a clickable link. Handy for when you want to find friends after you've split up.

As always, if you have screenshots or tips you'd like to send in, please do!

Update: Because there was some confusion as to what we meant by "torso," a new image showing the icon has been added to the gallery below.

Gallery: iPhone 2.2 beta

In Pictures: Street View, Safari for iPhone 2.2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Pictures: Street View, Safari for iPhone 2.2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers sells 255k iPhones, adds 191k subscribers

Filed under: iPhone

Rogers Wireless sold 255,000 iPhones since their introduction in July, and added 191,000 new customers, according to Electronista.

Desjardins Securities analyst Joseph MacKay estimates that Rogers will have to absorb subsidies for all those new customers -- two out of five who bought the iPhone -- adding about C$90 million in costs for the quarter. Over the three-year contract period, however, MacKay figures Rogers will do much better, as the average monthly bill for Rogers customers will be about C$100 (thanks to higher costs for iPhone plans), up from C$74 now.

Since Rogers is the only major GSM carrier in Canada, it said a third of its customers moved from another carrier, or had no mobile service before. Both Bell Canada and Telus had lower new subscriber numbers for the quarter.

Like Verizon in the United States, Bell Canada and Telus are planning on upgrading their networks to LTE, a fourth-generation mobile phone standard that AT&T will also support.

[Via AppleInsider.]

Rogers sells 255k iPhones, adds 191k subscribers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rogers sells 255k iPhones, adds 191k subscribers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor roundup: iPhone 2.2 firmware details

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Apple has given developers a taste of the new iPhone firmware, version 2.2 beta 2, and it includes a host of spiffy new features that are making the rounds online.

A tipster shared with us some screenshots of the new firmware, including what appears to be the ability to download podcasts directly to your iPhone (and presumably your iPod touch). This could tidily explain why Apple rejected the Podcaster app last month. The option to "get more episodes" doesn't appear to work in this firmware build, however.

MacRumors' Arnold Kim links to an iPhoneHellas.gr screenshot showing the iPhone software asking for a rating before you delete an application. Kim speculates Apple is looking to increase participation in the App Store rating process.

Om Malik's Apple Blog is showing off screenshots from the iPhoneYap.com message boards, including new Maps functionality. Google Street View will apparently be available by rotating the device into landscape mode. Public transportation support and directions for walking also seem to be included.

In the same report, the Apple Blog's David Appleyard also mentions location sharing via email and SDK support for manipulating line-in audio as part of the seed.

Rumor roundup: iPhone 2.2 firmware details originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor roundup: iPhone 2.2 firmware details originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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