iOS Devices

The Quake on iPhone project is coming right along…Apparantly you can find this application on Cyndia…We are checking the Apps store daily for this one to go legit…

From "abroad"..

 Doom developer id Software is very interested in building and developing titles for the iPhone, legendary co-founder and programmer, John Cormack, told Forbes.

Cormack is considered one of the creators of the first-person shooter genre. He told Forbes: "We wanted to do something for the iPhone, but we just didn’t have the scheduling or the resources available…I really regret not having something at launch."

The games guru added that id Software does have a title it wants to develop solely for the iPhone. "I’m not announcing anything specifically, but it would be a graphical tour de force," he said.

It appears the game would be drawn from the companys existing range of game franchises, Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, but the company ain’t saying. And Cormack is attracted by the iPhone as a platform because it can carry larger games than most other mobiles.

"The iPhone, as a device, is in the same generation power-wise as the PS2 or Xbox," he said. "The graphics are a little lower but the RAM is a lot higher. … You could easily spend $10 million on an iPhone game, but the market just can’t support that yet."

The report suggests that while the company missed the iPhone launch, it hopes to reach the platform soon.

 Installer.app developers have released info on Installer 4, which will work with jailbroken iPhones running firmware 2.0.

“Hi folks! Many of you are wondering what’s up with Installer 4. No, we haven’t slowed down the work on it, and are currently in the final stages of hooking the GUI to the back-end. We will be contacting the authors of the major repositories in a few days to invite them into the testing process and to prepare for the upcoming repository changes.”

If you don’t know about this app, it is software which makes it easier to run non-App Store third-party native applications on your iPhone, using a Mac and a GUI.

 Maybe its the continued engagement between Yahoo and Microsott, or perhaps the looming presence of billionaire investor Carl Icahn on the Yahoo board, but the online company appears to have take a leaf from the MSN Music playbook, and is dumping its legal online music customers from a great height….

Yahoo has announced plans to close the Yahoo! Music Store, and has told its legitimate, paying music loving customers it will switch-off the authorisation servers, meaning those attempting to transfer their music collections to other computers will be sunk. "They may as well have invested in 8-Track," a website notes.

Microsoft this year tried to do the same thing, telling customers of MSN Music it would no longer supply authorization keys for songs purchased from the defunct service. 

What this means is that when your authorised set of computers stop working, so will the music you paid for. This underlines the inherent danger of DRM in general, Distorted Loop observes.

Here’s what Yahoo had to say: "The Yahoo! Music Store, along with the ability to purchase and download single songs and albums, will no longer be available as of September 30, 2008. 

Songs and albums that were purchased through the Yahoo! Music Unlimited Store are protected by a digital rights management system that requires a valid license key before they can be played on your computer. 

After the Store closes, Yahoo! will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for music purchased from Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and Yahoo! will no longer be able to authorize song playback on additional computers. 

After September 30, 2008, you will not be able to transfer songs to unauthorized computers or re-license these songs after changing operating systems."

We recall that after Microsoft made the same decision – a decision which clearly punishes legal music consumers for being honest – there was huge outcry, which eventually convinced the world’s richest company to leave a light on on its MSN Music authorisation server, at least for a while: "After careful consideration, Microsoft has decided to continue to support the authorization of new computers and devices through at least the end of 2011," the company said in June.

Apple has posted an opening for an iPhone Security Engineer, to be based at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino.

The "exceptional individual" will "validate the security architecture for the iPhone."

"As an implementer of advanced technologies in OS X, you will have the opportunity to have a major impact on Apple’s embedded operating system products." We like the use of the plural there. 

Like everyone, we’ve speculated that Apple has far bigger plans for embedded system products – its purchase of PA Semi, recent disclosures of new cutting-edge products at prices competitors can’t match, and various mutterings and job ads have suggested the company plans a major play in digital media. It’s widely believed the company want’s to widen its Apple TV franchise, and many consider devices equipped with WiMax from Apple may show their face next year, as that standard enters wider deployment.

Step away from speculation, return to the job posting:

Responsibilities

* Review and provide feedback on security mechanisms implemented in OS X

* Provide risk analysis of potential security threats to our embedded products

* Develop "proof of concept" attacks on the current security mechanisms

* Come up with new and innovative ways of increasing security while preserving ease-of-use and increasing the quality of the end-user experience.

* Work cooperatively with other parts of CoreOS on cross-functional technologies and initiatives to enhance security and security policies

Required Experience:

* A genuine passion for analyzing security technologies and developing "proof of concept" attacks

* Demonstrated creative and critical thinking capabilities and troubleshooting skills

* Industry exposure to and knowledge of OS security and UNIX internals

* A strong software development background

* Highly professional, with the ability to deliver solid work on tight schedules

Useful Experience:

* Previous experience in operating systems and security tools

* Mac OS X exposure (end user, administrator, developer)

* Involvement in reverse engineering and security communities

* BS in Computer Science or equivalent experience/skills

Take a look at the job description on Apple’s recruitment website here, if you are the one who gets the position, you can expect, "Our environment fosters product innovation, rapid product iteration, and a liberating amount of autonomy."

Apple Expo Paris, Remixed (Translated to Anglais) which is fighting for international relevancy is happening this year from September 17th-20.  Apple, for the first time in 25 years, decided to skip this year’s Paris event, leaving many to question whether the "international" show would remain relevant.   It was a good time last year and it is a shame that it appears to be heading south…Anyway.  Here’s the latest from Nike in Paris….in French.

Wanna have a shot at getting a 3G iphone without having to wait on line for the model you didn’t want?  Top Muffin has the "iPhone3G Store availability tracker" which updates its page based on Apple’s JSON feed.  It looks like it works pretty well but the proof is in the pudding. 

It might be worth a few extra minutes to give a call to you Apple store just to double check in case…

via DFB

The newest iPhone from "abroad" asks what is 3G….

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZOnvGAMjK0&hl=en]

 AT&T today reported solid second-quarter results, indicating strong growth in wireless and data services and huge demand for the iPhone 3G.

Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer said, “Earnings growth continues to be solid, our wireless momentum is strong, our major growth and cost-reduction initiatives are on track, and we continue to return substantial value to shareowners.

“As we generate sound financial results, AT&T also has taken the lead to innovate and create great solutions for customers,” Stephenson said. “Mobility, broadband connectivity and integrated services that encompass voice, data and video are driving a new world of communications. AT&T is all about deploying and enhancing premier networks and products to deliver this world to both business and consumers.

“The Apple iPhone 3G is a dramatic example of this transformation,” he added. “In the days following our exclusive US launch of this new device, powered by the nation’s fastest 3G wireless network, customer response has been everything we had anticipated and more. This strengthens our wireless business, and it reinforces our positive view of the opportunities ahead for AT&T and the industry.”

The company says it expects continued strong growth in wireless data services as more customers choose data plans and advanced wireless devices such as the new iPhone 3G.

AT&T also confirmed that sales of the iPhone 3G were "nearly double levels achieved in AT&T’s 2007 iPhone launch" across the 12 days following its US launch. And that’s despite limited availability of the device.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2008, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $30.9 billion, up 4.7 per cent versus reported results in the year-earlier quarter.

More information.

First things first, hire some Branding Consultants to come up with a new name.  Golden Sh…ellback has too many negative conotations.  As for the product, wow!  If this works as good as the video shows, it should be slapped on every electronic device this side of Wanchai Computer center. 

Prediction: It will get turned down by the FDA because it causes some sort of human ailment and we’ll never be able to use our iPhones underwater…drat

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/1381538 w=400&h=225]
Golden Shellback Waterproof Coating from gCaptain.com on Vimeo.

Via Engadget

It is that time of year again.  Summer is in full swing.  The north polar ice cap is melting away, the Yankees are making a run at the playoffs and 9to5mac is hearing from Asia on this year’s iPod lineup.  First up is the Nano which will appear in multiple colors…not multiple color versions but each one will have a plethora of colors.  The storage will double and new features will be added….

We can’t exactly elaborate on everything we’ve heard but more will be forthcoming…keep an eye on this space.

(btw, the image is just meant to illustrate the idea – not a real picture…we found it on the web)

digg_url = ‘http://9to5mac.com/rainbow-iPod-nano’;

 New app, recently added:

Description:

"Ad Hoc Helper lets you email a copy of your device’s UDID (unique device identifier) to developers so they can add you to their Ad Hoc distribution profiles. This allows them to create a special version of their apps that can be run on your iPhone outside of the normal AppStore channels. Ad Hoc distribution is perfect for Beta testing as well as for small in-house projects with an limited distribution group, of up to 100 iPhones and/or iPod touches. To run, just tap the icon. A message immediately opens in your Mail application with your UDID information. Address it to the developer in question and send it on its way." Try it?

Thanks to PinchMedia

Yet more movement in the enterprise with news today of the Sybase iAnywhere, an enterprise class solution that now lets  iPhone 3G users access wireless email from Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange email systems. 

Sybase iAnywhere provided iPhone users with wireless email access to Lotus Domino in a release earlier this year, now its iAnywhere Mobile Office offers iPhone 3G highly secure enterprise email that uses native applications.

 “Since the release of our wireless email product for iPhone earlier this year, we have seen strong interest from customers and partners – showcasing the demand for iPhone within the enterprise,” said Terry Stepien, president, Sybase iAnywhere. “We are excited to be part of the iPhone ecosystem and are focused on providing companies the ability to support the iPhone for secure wireless email usage along with other mobile devices, such as Windows Mobile and Symbian.” 

 In the near future, Sybase iAnywhere expects to enhance iAnywhere Mobile Office with additional components such as push email, contacts, corporate directory access and calendar.

A 30-day free trial is available.

We showed you how to do this before and yes it is much nicer with 3G speeds.  Tether your your laptop (and others if you wish) through the iPhone’s 3G connection.  Nate Tru has the details on his blog.

Basic steps as follows
– Jailbreak your iPhone 3G
– Install 3Proxy and Terminal
– Create an ad-hoc Wi-fi network using your laptop
– Join the network with your iPhone
– Find the iPhone’s IP address

– Open Terminal and run the proxy program
– Open Safari on your iPhone and open a web page
– Configure your browser to use the proxy

Just off the wires from Tim Cook, iPhone hitting 20 more countries on August 22.  This will bring the total to over 40 worldwide.  Fifa watch out!

 Woah! So – if Disney and Apple got together to design an iPhone for members of the Mickey Mouse Club, would it really look like this? Probably not, we’re convinced this is no more than an amusing fake, particularly on account of the inclusion of a ‘proper’ keyboard on the purported device – after all, hardware keyboards are just, so…well, opinions differ.

Returning to the image, published by blogger Jan Chipchase, it appears to show a hybrid Apple/Disney phone, complete with the familiar Apple logo, and Mickey Mouse on the back. We think this is an interesting notion, but would a Disney Apple iPhone look like this?

Yeah, of course even with its 2.0 glitches, the iPhone still is the best you can get…it would really be nice to see some worth competition for the iPhone however.  As much as we like the idea behind the OpenMoko, it doesn’t appear to be the iPhone killa….

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/1366042 w=400&h=302]
OpenMoko Train Wreck from Dave Fayram on Vimeo.

Wow…If you wanted to wait out the lines and pick up an iPhone this week, we have some bad news for you.  It probably ain’t going to happen.  Of all of Apple’s US stores only four still have iPhones left...and each one of these only has one model.  If you are looking to pick up the 8Gb iPhone you might want to get your plane ticket not because the only store selling them is  the Honolulu, Kahala store in Hawaii. 

Not to worry though, if you want a 16Gb black one.  Just head to Pleasonton, California….

Oh and if you are looking for a white iPhone, just queue up at the Apple Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York.

Woops – New Hampshire has a few left as well.

Otherwise, you are SOL.

Thanks DFB

It is finally here.  In the words of the iPhone Dev team:

Thanks for waiting :)

Here you go. [appears to be down for now, we took link down until we can revive the poor wounded server]

We’ll be releasing a more official announcement soon, but we wanted to get the tool out there. We sincerely hope you enjoy using it as much as we enjoyed making it :)

Update 1: Just to clear up some confusion over what this actually does: yes, it jailbreaks and unlocks older iPhones, and jailbreaks iPhone 3Gs and iPod Touches. We only support the 2.0 firmwares.

Update 2: It looks like there aren’t enough TCP ports on that server, so _BigBoss_ has generously offered to mirror it.

Update 3: If you get Error 1600 from iTunes (or if you see in your log a failure to prepare x12220000_4_Recovery.ipsw), try: mkdir ~/Library/iTunes/”Device Support” ;  if that directory already exists, remove any files in it.  Then re-run PwnageTool.  

Update 4: Here’s another mirror.

Update 5: If DFU restores are giving you trouble, another route to pwned 2.0 for 1G owners is to use our first pwnage at 1.1.4.  Once you are pwned there, you  can do a normal recovery-mode restore to your custom 2.0 ipsw.  BTW the iPhone does *not* need to be pre-pwned to be able to DFU-restore into a pwned ipsw — it needs to be pre-pwned only for normal recovery-mode restores of custom ipsw’s.

Update 6: Mail application not working at 2.0?  Please restore to your custom ipsw (you don’t need to DFU restore if you are pwned, normal restore will work now too) but then select “Set up as a new iPhone” when iTunes asks.  Your first sync will bring back all of your settings anyway.

Bloomberg reports that Motorola is suing Apple for hiring a Motorola Exec who  " disclosed its trade secrets to aid in the marketing of Apple’s iPhone. "  Could Motorola prowess help Apple’s marketing?

“He was privy to the pricing, margins, customer initiatives, allocation of resources, product development, multi-year product, business and talent planning and strategies being used by Motorola,” according to the complaint.

Michael Fenger, the executive in question, left Motorola for Apple after working there for six years as vice president for the company’s mobile-device business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is now Apple’s vice president for global iPhone sales.  Admittedly, this is a very similar job description and iPhone and Motorola’s phones could be said to be competing.  We almost bought the Q instead of the iPhone…

Fenger signed a two year non-compete agreement with Motorola stating that he would not work for the competition.

“He was privy to the pricing, margins, customer initiatives, allocation of resources, product development, multiyear product, business and talent planning and strategies being used by Motorola,”

Motorola seeks a court order barring Fenger from working for Apple.  They also seek to recoup more than $1 million for Fenger’s alleged violation of company stock-option agreements.

Good luck with that…

Gartner and IDC just released their most recent numbers on PC Marketshare and Apple, as expected, climbed up the ranks again.  Depending who you ask they are either slightly ahead or slightly behind the Acer/Gateway/Packard Bell mashup which puts them around tied for third place.  The interesting thing is iPod touches and iPhones aren’t counted as computer sales.  Should they be?

• iPhones have the same specs as laptops had about 5 years ago.
• They can do most of the things a full computer can
• They are as functional as UMPCs which are tallied in the total.
• They are used in much the same way as computers, replacing computers much of the time for people on the move
• Unsubsidized cost?  I’d venture to bet 50% of Dell and HP machines are less expensive that unsubidized iPhones
• Some pretty smart people say they are computers

If you do count iPhones and iPod touches…you get a whole new ball game.  That three million computer lead that HP and Dell have on Apple starts to shrink.  Apple sold a million iPhones last week.  iPods are also flying off the shelves and with the 2.0 software, they do Exchange, Cisco VPN, Office apps, IM,  and have 1000 3rd party apps waiting for them.  That is a pretty good computer platform if you ask us! 

As these things converge with computers, Apples marketshare should explode!