iPhone shortage hints at imminent refresh

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple, iPhone

Employee malfeasance and underwear gnome schemes cannot account for the nationwide shortage of retail iPhone availability. As many TUAW readers discovered to their delight, AT&T has been clearing out their refurb iPhone stock and Apple stores are short on the shelves. As Apple’s supply chain is almost certainly unimpaired, pundits can only conclude that we’re about ready to hit an iPhone refresh.

The question about the refresh isn’t whether it will happen or not but rather when. We were guessing June/WWDC for a 3G iPhone announcement and September for a delivery — after all, new cell equipment has to go through rigorous approval. Stock shortages indicate that at least a memory-based refresh might arrive sooner than later. Right now, Apple customers are experiencing 5-7 day shipment delays on their purchases.

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Ownersite Mobile
Ownersite is a web-based tool that simplifies the logging and sharing of vehicle maintenance, fuel usage and expenses. It features: - Track fuel usage and fuel economy details - Compare fuel economy to EPA estimates and other Ownersite users - Increase resale value by documenting and sharing vehicle maintenance history and receipts - Receive recall notifications when they are […]

iPhone owners do everything but talk

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone

I always pay my iPhone bill with the phone itself. It’s simple — touch settings, then phone then AT&T services. In just a few seconds, I can wave about $70US goodbye. What a world!

There are other options on that screen, like “View my minutes,” which I usually check when I pay my bill. As of right now, I’m looking at 1300 roll over minutes. This can only mean one thing:

I rarely use my iPhone as a phone.

I’m not alone. According to a report on International Business Times, 46.5 percent of iPhone owners spend the time they use their iPhones engaged in voice calls (that number is 71.7 percent for BlackBerry owners).

Also, iPhone owners in the US claim to spend 12.1 percent of their iPhone time on the net (compare that to 2.4 percent for all other mobile phones on average), and nearly 12 percent of their time listening to audio (compared to 2.5 percent for others).

In observing my own behavior with the iPhone, I use it most often as an iPod, and then to check email and use the net (Twitter mostly). For me, the iPhone is a computer that just happens to make phone calls, not a phone with some cool features. It appears I’m not the only one with this opinion.

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iPhoneLocator
Think LoJack/Twitter for the Facebook. How cool/creepy would it be for people to know where you are all the time? Still in beta, it already has some neat settings like privacy, update intervals, and accuracy (joining coordinates together). You have to add the application first on Facebook, then you get a Repository URL, which dynamically generates […]

Downgrading your 2.0 iPhone from the Pink Screen of Death

Filed under: iPhone

I haven’t played with iPhone firmware 1.2/2.0 yet, but I’m told that some developers have encountered what is becoming known as the PSOD: a pink-colored start screen that apparently replaces the “connect to iTunes” graphic you’d normally see before activation.

iPhone hacker AlJaMa wrote in with his how-to method for downgrading a 2.0 iPhone back to 1.1.4. According to AlJaMa, you can put your iPhone into restore mode, do a 1.1.4 restore (use option-Restore to pick the 1.1.4 ipsw package) and be no worse off than getting the Error 1015 we’ve all come to know and love. iLiberty or INdependence will kick you out of the 1015/recovery mode. The restored phone will continue to work as a phone despite the updated baseband.

AlJaMa warns that you may encounter error -2002. In such a case, he suggests you try restoring to other firmware versions until you get back to the 1015 error.

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New iPhone ads: Bet, Brilliant, and Music Store

Filed under: iTS, Apple, iPhone

Apple has released three new iPhone ads showing off the iTunes Store, Google maps positioning feature, and how to win a bet. These commercials are done in the regular iPhone ad style. I like the way the bet ad ends with the narrator saying, “… then you’ll have the internet and five dollars, in your pocket.”

You can see all of these ads on the iPhone TV Ads Gallery page.

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Tech columnist says 3G iPhone coming “in 60 days”
Generally, we don’t put much stock in rumors, but when you get the word from the man who’s in a position to know—round these parts we call him Malt Schlossberg—it’s impossible to ignore. Speaking at an executive summit on video delivery, Mr. Schlossberg said that the 3G version of the…

Latest iPhone 2.0 beta reveals 3G chipset
Hidden away in the latest test firmware for iPhone developers is the mention of the chipset that will likely power third-generation cellular Internet access in Apple’s next generation of the device. Discovered by the creators of the popular ZiPhon…

New iPhone ads: Bet, Brilliant, and Music Store

Filed under: iTS, Apple, iPhone

Apple has released three new iPhone ads showing off the iTunes Store, Google maps positioning feature, and how to win a bet. These commercials are done in the regular iPhone ad style. I like the way the bet ad ends with the narrator saying, “… then you’ll have the internet and five dollars, in your pocket.”

You can see all of these ads on the iPhone TV Ads Gallery page.

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Golf Driving Range
FORE! MyNuMo brings the classic golf driving range to the iPhone. Play for accuracy and move onto more difficult levels. No need to wait for t-times, just fire up the iPhone and swing away. Golf Driving Range features MyNuMos new “press to play” sports game system that makes iPhone gaming fast and fun. http://mynumo.com/iphone/golf/main.htm

Crazy Popular Asian Blogstar Prefers Fake Chinese iPhone to the Real Thing

This is either the best or worst iPhone review ever. Wendy Cheng is apparently the most popular blogger in Singapore. Before giving her the real iPhone, her producers tricked her into reviewing a Chinese knockoff. But she actually liked the fake, saying it’s “not bad for a shitass China phone.” The real iPhone? Only “mediocre,” and “I really don’t like the touchscreen…it’s fucking shitty.” Oh, that’s just the tip of this iceberg of awesome. [ClickNetwork.TV via Fake Steve]

Review: Sena iPhone UltraSlim Pouch
If you’re on the lookout for an extremely simple, chic sheath for your iPhone, the $30 Sena iPhone UltraSlim Pouch ( mice” id=”mouse”>) may fit the bill. Made from hand-crafted leather in your choice of eleven different colors, from standard black to orange and green, the pouch keeps your phone…

Survey finds most iPhone owners aren’t Mac users

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple, iPhone

Rubicon Consulting recently published a survey (PDF) from a selected group of 460 iPhone owners. Here is a summary of the results:

• 80% of iPhone owners said they were “satisfied” with the device
• 72% of users said they use the iPhone at least once a day for e-mail
• 55% of those surveyed said that the iPhone has increased their mobile browsing
• Almost half of the owners changed their carrier
• 40% of those that switched, switched from a smartphone device
• 1/3 of iPhone owners carry 2 phones
• 13% of iPhone owners surveyed have unlocked iPhones
• 1 out of 10 users reported “hand pain” after use
• 1 out of 5 iPhones were purchased as a gift

Only 20% of the users surveyed said that they had both an iPod and Mac; while only 5% said they had had a Mac and no iPod. Half of iPhone owners are under 30 years of age and students took up 16% of iPhone usage. While not surprising, the most desired new feature is applications and Exchange support. iPhone owners are of course paying more for their monthly phone bill — the average phone bill before iPhone purchase was around $78/mo. and after purchase was around $97/mo.

You can read the full survey by downloading the published survey from Rubicon Consulting.

[via MacRumors]

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Trivia Why?s Daily Quiz
Specifically created for the iPhone and iPod Touch but playable in any modern web browser, Trivia Why’s Daily Quiz keeps you sharp with a few minutes of exercise for the left side of your brain and a touch of wit for the right. Know all the answers? Congratulations, you’re a trivia genius! Not so sharp […]

Analyst triggers stock surge; flash sales may tumble 66 percent
An investor note by Thomas Weisel Partners has triggered a rush on Apple stock after suggesting that the iPhone and Mac would drive Apple sales for years. Also, iSuppli sees a lack of flash orders from Apple; Microsoft and Yahoo have traded shots ov…