September 2007: Monthly Archive

figure 1: Folks, I’m just as surprised as anyone to see their logo here.

iPXSync is another product on the way that aims to provide Exchange compatibility for the iPhone. It looks like they’ll make creative use of IMAP to sync both email and non-email items (like tasks, contacts, and appointments) to mail folders, and that means over-the-air syncing, and if you delete one from the iPhone, it will be deleted from the server as well. They are running a free registration beta at the moment, and since this service doesn’t require extra software to be installed on the Exchange server itself, it’s an Outlook Web Access web scraper. This service is a lot like Synchronica, on which we’ve reported before. As a side note, Synchronica is still running a free trial of their service. Ah, competition. It makes things better.

It looks like Norway, Finland, and Sweden may be the next countries to get the iPhone. Apple is reportedly in talks with both TeliaSonera and Telenor to determine who will be the carrier for the iPhone in their respective countries. It’s regarded as likely that TeliaSonera will win Sweden and Finland and Telenor will be the carrier in Norway. Representatives from Telenor noted that the iPhone is unlikely to come out on their network this year.

As if Nokia, Motorola, et. al., didn’t already have reason to shit themselves. Today’s news from The Street will have CEOs at every major handset maker pouring glasses of Pepto-Bismol and reading motivational posters. Senior Writer Scott Moritz reports that Apple will boost iPhone production for the fourth quarter to 2.7 Million units, nearly double original projections. Apparently Apple anticipates some kind of spike in demand in Q4.

Hey, you don’t suppose the recent price drop had something to do with this, do you? Nah, purely coincidental.

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SummerBoard users may want to fire up Installer.app. Four new themes are now available for download; Oren, Phiberglass, JrWallace, and two variations of Tiger. Oren stands out as best theme, in my opinion. It gives your home screen a purple-hued “Fo’ Shizzle” look that speaks taste.

Nothing too dramatic, but who doesn’t love freebies.

Reuters reports, based off a video with Scott Moritz from thestreet.com that Apple is doubling their iPhone production for the 4th quarter. Their new manufacturing plan calls for ramping up from 1.54 million iPhones next quarter to 2.7 million iPhones. In terms of iPhones to be manufactured this year, the target for iPhone manufacture is now 4.8 million, up from 3.6 million. Note that the number doesn’t reflect sales, just manufacture.

Didier Lombard, the CEO of Orange, confirmed that Orange would be the sole provider of the iPhone in France. He didn’t reveal any details at all, merely confirming that they were not going to subsidize the cost of the handset. Rumors have indicated that unlimited data will not be part of the deal.

He’s probably going to let Steve reveal that information at Apple Expo Paris (Google Translated)next week. Hopefully for Lombard’s sake, he didn’t reveal any secrets that Steve Jobs wanted to reveal himself; I know that he’s punished partners for revealing his secrets before — ATi was punished around July 2000 for leaking that new iMacs and PowerMacs were coming.

See folks, this is why Apple locks out third party software development – using Steve Jobs’s products as adult sex toys is naughty, and voids your warranty.

An app called iBrate (cute name) turns your iPhone into a $600 $400 vibrator, the only device in the world that can make phone calls and orgasms at the same time. So, guys, the next time you call your gal and she sounds somewhat far away, with a suspicious buzzing sound in the background, you’ll know that iPhone is the man you aren’t.

To download iBrate, you will need to be running installer.app with the Community Source package installed. If that’s already done you should see it listed.

I wonder if this app really works? Hold my calls.

Oh to be an analyst. I swear if I could have any job in the world that would surely be it – lounge around in a cushy office all day long, putting golf balls into an empty scotch glass, stare out the window, and occassionally publish insanely self evident studies about market directions and product trends.

Take this latest piece of work by ABI Research, for example. These jokers have determined that iPhone offers a glimpse of things to come for mobile internet devices. They see portable devices one day being used for such things as web browsing, text messaging, music playback, even capturing photos and video. My God, it’s like they have a crystal ball or something!

Anyway, read the study, have a laugh, then go back to your futuristic iPhone. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to leave for work in my flying car.

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T-Mobile customers in Germany are waltzing in the streets today. Earlier this morning Steve Jobs announced an exclusive partnership with Deutsch Telekom (T-Mobile), bringing iPhone to Germany starting November 9. Pricing is set at €399, but one of my readers in Germany, Jonathan Marcialis, sent news (with photo) that several shops in Germany are already advertising iPhone now for €899 ($1,200). Mein Gott!

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Even though the iPhone just came out in late June, analysts are desperate for a new version. Over at the Street, for example, they expect a 3G iPhone (with GPS!) in 1Q (January, February, or March) 2008.

Many sites had been saying January earlier, but Jobs’ statement about 3G chips not being ready and to expect an iPhone in late 2008 apparently forced some sites to revise their earlier statements. Even after Jobs’ statement, some sites are still reporting on a January 3G iPhone introduction and 1Q release.

Dont’ get me wrong, I’d be really happy to get a new 3G iPhone with GPS and whatnot. But frankly, I’d rather have improvements on the software side. Features like cut&paste, Office-style software, and actual 3rd-party software support would be smart. I already have a GPS puck, all I need is for Apple to release a version of their iPhone Maps.app that is GPS compatible. Full Exchange support would be pretty awesome. Also on my want list is A2DP, or stereo bluetooth. And yet another, the Nike+iPod compatibility. What’s on your want list?