iPhone 2.0 Firmware Update to Include Search Feature?

Some sharp-eyed folks over at blargKaboom analyzed last week’s SDK event and noticed a search icon in Contacts. Interestingly enough, the icon appears in a screenshot about 9 min and 30 sec in, but not in the actual demo. Hopefully, this feature will be ready by the time the final version rolls out in June, because manually searching through a ton of contacts can be a real bitch. [Apple and blargKaboom via Ubergizmo]

iPhone has the potential to take over handheld gaming

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Multimedia, Apple, iPhone

Roughly Drafted has a nice, long analysis of the iPhone as a gaming device, and they hit on a lot of great reasons why the iPhone seems destined to be a great gaming platform. Not only will it have the hardware chops to play games (including a few input devices that no other handheld gaming consoles have ever had), but Apple’s SDK implementation, when it finally gets off the ground in June anyway, seems poised to let almost anyone develop any game ideas they have for the device.

Throw in a great distribution platform and a relative lack of competition on the handheld platform (Nintendo is undoubtedly working on a successor to the DS, but other than that, there are no real next-generation contenders so far), and Apple apparently has the potential to do very well in the gaming market.

In fact, the only problem that Apple might bump up against in building up in the iPhone as a gaming device is the cost — at $400, it’ll be the most expensive gaming handheld out there. But given that it’s actually a smartphone, and thus actually benefits from an already installed user base (people who have the iPhone may very well be people who will have never purchased or used a handheld gaming platform before), the price may not be that big an obstacle to ownership.

And if they can build up a respectable library of game titles, they could even brand an iPod touch/phoneless iPhone as a gaming unit, and sell that at a price that would compete with Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS. Apple has never historically pushed for the forefont of anything in gaming, but if their showing at the SDK event is any indication, they may be lining up to make the iPhone the place to play handheld videogames in the future.

[Via IMG]

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Are these the first screenshots of the iPhone AppStore?

Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone

One of our readers sent us in some screenshots of his iPhone showing what appears to be the anticipated iTunes AppStore. Could these pictures be the AppStore, or could it be some type of hack? It definitely looks legit to us! He says that after opening and closing the AppStore a couple of times and getting an “iTunes connection” error, it finally loaded some random AppStore pages.

We also got word from modmyifone.com that they got the same tip we did and are featuring the screenshots as well. That’s two votes for legitimacy…

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Thanks Aaron

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iPhone has the potential to take over handheld gaming

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Multimedia, Apple, iPhone

Roughly Drafted has a nice, long analysis of the iPhone as a gaming device, and they hit on a lot of great reasons why the iPhone seems destined to be a great gaming platform. Not only will it have the hardware chops to play games (including a few input devices that no other handheld gaming consoles have ever had), but Apple’s SDK implementation, when it finally gets off the ground in June anyway, seems poised to let almost anyone develop any game ideas they have for the device.

Throw in a great distribution platform and a relative lack of competition on the handheld platform (Nintendo is undoubtedly working on a successor to the DS, but other than that, there are no real next-generation contenders so far), and Apple apparently has the potential to do very well in the gaming market.

In fact, the only problem that Apple might bump up against in building up in the iPhone as a gaming device is the cost — at $400, it’ll be the most expensive gaming handheld out there. But given that it’s actually a smartphone, and thus actually benefits from an already installed user base (people who have the iPhone may very well be people who will have never purchased or used a handheld gaming platform before), the price may not be that big an obstacle to ownership.

And if they can build up a respectable library of game titles, they could even brand an iPod touch/phoneless iPhone as a gaming unit, and sell that at a price that would compete with Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS. Apple has never historically pushed for the forefont of anything in gaming, but if their showing at the SDK event is any indication, they may be lining up to make the iPhone the place to play handheld videogames in the future.

[Via IMG]

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Gartner Declares iPhone Ready for Business, Promises More Obvious Predictions
Analysts are like Tarot card readers with MBAs, making speculative predictions based on little more than the direction of the wind and bird migration patterns. They follow a similar marketing practice too - the first reading is free, but the second will cost you, and cost you. The brain trust at Gartner Research, a firm […]

iPhone 2.0 Update Available for Free in June, Touch Users Get to Pay Up (Again)

All of the awesomeness you’ve been reading about—from an AIM client to Enterprise goodness—will be coming your way in June with the final 2.0 software update. For free! Unless you’ve gotta an iPod touch, then due to those nefarious “accounting practices” you have to pay to get the update. Again! ($20? less? more? You should’ve just gotten the phone, asshole.)

Apple Announces iPhone 2.0 Software Beta Includes SDK & Built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today previewed its iPhone(TM) 2.0 software, scheduled for release this June, and announced the immediate availability of a beta release of the software to selected developers and enterprise customers. The iPhone 2.0 beta release includes both the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) as well as new enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure, over-the-air push email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.

“We’re excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community with potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone’s enterprise features combined with its revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface and advanced software architecture provide the best user experience and the most advanced software platform ever for a mobile device.”

The iPhone SDK provides developers with a rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools to create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod(R) touch. Starting today, anyone can download the beta iPhone SDK for free and run the iPhone Simulator on their Mac(R). Apple today also introduced its new iPhone Developer Program, giving developers everything they need to create native applications, and the new App Store, a breakthrough way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to iPhone and iPod touch users.

With the iPhone SDK, third party developers will be able to build native applications for the iPhone with a rich set of APIs, including programming interfaces for Core OS, Core Services, Media and Cocoa Touch technologies. The iPhone SDK will allow developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch(TM) user interface, animation technology, large storage, built-in three-axis accelerometer and geographical location technology to deliver truly innovative mobile applications.

Apple has licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft and is building it right into the iPhone, so that iPhone will connect out-of-the-box to Microsoft Exchange Servers 2003 and 2007 for secure over-the-air push email, contacts, calendars and global address lists. Built-in Exchange ActiveSync support also enables security features such as remote wipe, password policies and auto-discovery. The iPhone 2.0 software supports Cisco IPsec VPN to ensure the highest level of IP-based encryption available for transmission of sensitive corporate data, as well as the ability to authenticate using digital certificates or password-based, multi-factor authentication. The addition of WPA2 Enterprise with 802.1x authentication enables enterprise customers to deploy iPhone and iPod touch with the latest standards for protection of Wi-Fi networks.

The iPhone 2.0 software provides a configuration utility that allows IT administrators to easily and quickly set up many iPhones, including password policies, VPN setting, installing certificates, email server settings and more. Once the configuration is defined it can be easily and securely delivered via web link or email to the user. To install, all the user has to do is authenticate with a user ID or password, download the configuration and tap install. Once installed, the user will have access to all their corporate IT services.

The iPhone 2.0 software release will contain the App Store, a new application that lets users browse, search, purchase and wirelessly download third party applications directly onto their iPhone or iPod touch. The App Store enables developers to reach every iPhone and iPod touch user. Developers set the price for their applications — including free — and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues. Users can download free applications at no charge to either the user or developer, or purchase priced applications with just one click. Enterprise customers will be able to create a secure, private page on the App Store accessible only by their employees. Apple will cover all credit card, web hosting, infrastructure and DRM costs associated with offering applications on the App Store. Third party iPhone and iPod touch applications must be approved by Apple and will be available exclusively through the App Store.

The iPhone SDK provides a reliable, fast and secure way to create innovative applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. In addition to the rich set of iPhone OS APIs, the iPhone SDK also provides advanced tools for creating native iPhone and iPod touch applications including: Xcode(R) for source code editing, project management and graphical debugging; Interface Builder with drag and drop interface creation and live preview; Instruments to monitor and optimize iPhone application performance in real time; and the iPhone Simulator to run and debug applications.

During the beta iPhone SDK program, a limited number of developers will be accepted into Apple’s new iPhone Developer Program and offered the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing. The Standard Program costs $99 (US) per year and gives members an iPhone SDK and development tools; access to pre-release iPhone software; technical support; the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing; and distribution of applications via the new App Store. The Enterprise Program costs $299 (US) per year.

In addition to these new iPhone network and security features, the beta iPhone 2.0 software provides several new Mail features such as the ability to view PowerPoint attachments, in addition to Word and Excel, as well as the ability to mass delete and move email messages.

Pricing & Availability

Apple plans to release the final iPhone 2.0 software, including the iPhone SDK and new enterprise features, as a free software update for all iPhone customers by the end of June. Third party applications created for the iPhone will also run on the iPod touch, and iPod touch users will be required to purchase a software update to run these applications. The free beta iPhone SDK is available immediately worldwide and can be downloaded at developer.apple.com/iphone/program. The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months. Apple is accepting applications beginning today from enterprise customers who would like to join the private iPhone Enterprise Beta Program (http://www.apple.com/iphone/enterprise).

Apple supplier ‘reveals’ next-gen iPods due at usual time of year
A long-time supplier of components for Apple Inc.’s iPods has reportedly been cut out of next-generation designs due later this year, just as conflicting reports surface over the company’s orders for 32GB NAND flash chips. Shares of Edinburgh-base…

Exploring Time Capsule: theoretical speed vs practical throughput
Time Capsule, announced earlier this year, is a base station with an integrated hard drive and power supply. The previous segment of this series exploring Time Capsule in depth looked at the differences in members of the AirPort family. This segment,…

Apple begins widespread testing of Mac OS X 10.5.3 Update
Apple Inc. this week began testing Mac OS X 10.5.3 Update, a third maintenance and security update to its relatively new Leopard operating system that already bundles over 75 bug fixes and code corrections. The Mac maker on Thursday informed its v…

Adobe backs off iPhone Flash statement

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Apple, iPhone

If you were one of those people who were excited that Adobe was going to apparently fight to get Flash on the iPhone, get ready to be unexcited: Adobe has decided that despite what they thought earlier, they’re not actually going to be able to get Flash on there using only the SDK from Apple. Nope, Adobe has admitted that they need Apple’s help to get it working (not a big surprise there), and since Apple isn’t really keen to help at all, odds are it’s just not going to happen.

Adobe then announced that they didn’t need your iPhone anyway, Apple, and that they hate you, Apple, and that you never let them have any fun, and that they wish you’d just die! And that they’d never been born! Then they ran to pout in the corner for a good 20 minutes, only to be seen a little while later playing with their trains like nothing had happened.

[Via Engadget]

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Microsoft eyeing potential options in iPhone development

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone

Over at Fortune, Jon Fortt reports on a conversation with Tom Gibbons (right), the VP in charge of Microsoft’s Specialized Devices & Applications group. SD&A is the MS umbrella that contains the Mac BU, along with projects such as Surface, Windows Embedded and Sync. Yes, Mac folk, we’ve been saying for years that we’re special, and Microsoft agrees — at least that we’re “specialized,” which is almost as good. Anyway, Gibbons had some interesting comments about MS plans for the platform of the future.

Gibbons says that for the past week a team of Microsoft engineers has been deep-diving into the SDK with an eye to “understand[ing] what we can bring to the iPhone.” In addition to the ActiveSync functionality that’s part of the forthcoming 2.0 update to the platform, it seems that MS may have some application-side ambitions for the iPhone as well. Considering that the Mac BU is a tidy and profitable division for Microsoft (Fortt guesstimates Mac app revenues for Microsoft at $350 million with $200M in annual profits, which strikes me as high-side but certainly not out of the realm of possibility), the opportunity to extend desktop productivity dominance to more corners of the mobile space (beyond the existing Windows Mobile installed base) must be quite appealing.

Still, there’s another quote from Gibbons that underlines Microsoft’s perceptions of the iPhone’s impact (emphasis mine): “To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in [the iPhone] environment, we’re… trying to understand that now.” Possibly an honest estimation, maybe a deliberate shading, but anyone who looks at the iPhone market and thinks that Mac users = iPhone owners is operating in a slightly different reality than most of us. Memo to Tom G: Your Windows Office customers are going to want iPhone integration too, and you can take that to the bank.

[via Techmeme]

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AT&T Jacks Up Text Message, Multimedia Message Rates

Yesterday, AT&T announced an unlimited voice plan for the iPhone that still comes with a paltry 200 text messages. Now, we have word that AT&T will be jacking up the price of text messages over your plan’s limit to a whopping $0.20, with multimedia messages going up to $0.30 (not that the iPhone can send those). If you send lots of text messages you’d better sign up for a larger text plan or risk adding some pretty crazy fees to your bill. [Broadband Reports]

AT&T Jacks Up Text Message, Multimedia Message Rates

Yesterday, AT&T announced an unlimited voice plan for the iPhone that still comes with a paltry 200 text messages. Now, we have word that AT&T will be jacking up the price of text messages over your plan’s limit to a whopping $0.20, with multimedia messages going up to $0.30 (not that the iPhone can send those). If you send lots of text messages you’d better sign up for a larger text plan or risk adding some pretty crazy fees to your bill. [Broadband Reports]

Mac sales to stay strong; more 3G iPhone rumors; Amazon No. 2
Planned purchases of Macs should buck a drop in computer spending created by a poor economy, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Digg’s chief now claims to have additional evidence of a 3G iPhone, Amazon’s music store is catching up to iTunes, ASUS…

Apple iPhone 2.0 Patent Shows Dual-Touchscreen Flipphone

It’s rare that Apple’s patents actually show the exact form factors of devices they have in development, but this “dual sided trackpad” patent for a phone seems to definitely show that they’ve got some flipphone version coming up. The patent itself outlines a phone that has two multitouch sensors, both on the “bottom” part of the phone. When it’s closed, the phone acts like your current model iPhone. When it’s open, only the bottom part of the phone is touch-sensitive, whereas the top part is just a display.

The top/bottom touchscreen difference has the interesting effect of bringing some new features such as actually drawing out a number on the touchpad, rotating and old school dial (?), simulating a T9 dialpad, or even having both sides of the touchscreen active at once for some crazy control.

What’s the point of this? Besides new features, apparently many people HATE the candybar form factor and won’t even consider a phone a real phone unless it’s a clamshell. Like Jack Bauer, for instance. [Unwired View]