Back in November Dieter told us about the Evil Empires (AT&T) plan to drain another $30 from all of it’s iPhone owners if they wanted to tether with a laptop. Well according to TUAW this may be the week you have all been waiting for.
It’s been under the rumor banner for some time now, but we’ve been told by a trusted source that the long-awaited AT&T iPhone-as-modem tethering plans (preliminary details in MacBlogz’ post from November: 5 GB data cap, $30/month supplementary cost) may be ready for prime time during Macworld Expo this week. The tethering announcement might not rise to a keynote-worthy level; it could simply be publicized as a press release during the show.
So what will you get for your $30 a month??? 5 GB data cap… A bit steep don’t you think? Then again would you expect anything else from AT&T? I know the few times I would actually be tethering, I’d willing to take that risk on the Jailbroken app. Are you willing to pay that much for this service or are you more willing to Jailbreak your iPhone 3G and roll the dice with a program such as PdaNet?
Sound off in the comments!
[Via TUAW]
While TiPb is still waiting on Mobile iChat (SchillerNote Macworld bullet-point perhaps?), at least MobileMe isn’t taking time off for the holidays. In addition to an update for their browser-side PIM services, fresh rumors abound of iWork — Apple’s word processing Pages, presentation making Keynote, and spread sheeting Numbers — going WebApps (think Google Docs with buttery Apple-crafted UI). Ars Technica says:
“Magic” could refer to a few things, but my best guess is that it will be a new iWork component or application that will allow some kind of online sharing, collaboration, or application access. It’s possible that Apple will indeed introduce iWork web application at the Macworld Expo, but if that’s the case then I think they’ll be offered as part of the existing suite, or as an add-on component, rather than as groundbreaking overhaul.
What seems more certain, and certainly handy, is this catch by TUAW:
Soon a new feature in iDisk will make it simple to share files too big for email. iDisk will automatically send a message with a simple link. The recipient will just click the link to download the file.
Official iDisk integration for the iPhone would be a nifty holiday treat as well. OS 2.3 please?
Not had your fill yet with iPhone nano and iPhone Pro “sliders“? Want even more form-factor furor to fuel your pre-Macworld fires? TechCrunch and the iTablet to the rescue!
We’ve got this from three independent sources close to Apple: expect a large screen iPod touch device to be released in the Fall of ‘09, with a 7 or 9 inch screen. Prototypes have been seen and handled by one of our sources, and Apple is talking to OEMs in Asia now about mass production.
Of course, we all know the story about the iPhone originating as a tablet device code-named Safari Pad, as well as Steve Jobs’ statement that he’s just as proud of the devices Apple hasn’t released as the ones they have.
So, while we have no doubt that Apple already has working iTablets deep beneath the vaults of Cupertino, given the shape of the tablet market, which outside Bill Gates has yet to take off, who knows if they’ll ever surface as a production device?
Uptake on the iPhone/App Store platform and popularity of the “netbook” class ultra-mini laptops may make some feel it’s more likely now than ever, but with Apple you only ever really know for sure when Steve Jobs (er… or Phil Schiller) hold it up on stage.
Still, the graphic designer would love one of these babies. How about you?
Not to be outdone by the Apple media server rumors, the iPhone Nano rears its tiny mutant form again, this time on the website of case-maker Vaja. Does this add weight to the rumor, or simply volume? MacRumors rightly points out:
While it may be that Vaja is simply taking advantage of the hype surrounding the iPhone Nano, the rumors have been persistent over the past few weeks. While Apple does not give case manufacturers information about unreleased products, Apple must contract out to factories to manufacture their hardware. It is believed that it is through these contracts that case design specs are often leaked ahead of time. As we’ve said before, case manufacturers have a huge financial incentive to have cases ready in time for new product launches.
Macworld is only a week away (though even if the rumor is true (and we’re still not holding our breath) we may have to wait until Apple — and Steve Jobs — hold another special media event to know for sure.
Are you getting convinced yet? Or just tiring of the rumors?
Another countdown to Macworld, another rumor! This one says that Apple is developing a turbo-boosted version of Time Capsule that would offer HP Media Smart Server-like capabilities. Some of the more nifty, iPhone related features, according to 9to5Mac, could include:
The device will tie in MobileMe with an Apple built-in Dynamic DNS system. For instance, if your MobileMe account was “9to5mac”, your domain name would be “9to5mac.me.com”. This is how you’d reach your filesystem throughout the Internet. Your media would also reside here. [...] Sharing media with iPod Touch and iPhones both over the Internet and while at home. AppleTV as well.
Hey, if multiple drives and RAID-5 (RAID-6!) are in the cards, it might even be a viable Drobo alternative — something that’s already the darling of the Apple community…
Blurry off-angle photo? Check. Recycled tag line? Check. Recycled hero artwork? Check. Photoshop? Check.
Yes, folks, Jon4Lakers appears to have iPhone Nano fakes just in time for Macworld? And could it be from the same fine folks who brought us the fake Mac Mini poster?
Sure, case makers have made iPhone Nano rumors all the rage again, but just shrinking down the screen’s physical size making capacitive targets difficult for beefy fingers to hit doesn’t make much sense, does it?
With Apple, anything can happen, so the only question is, what’s more likely? Phil Schiller whipping out an iPhone nano at Macworld, or tons more fakes before he ultimately doesn’t?
(Thanks to Kurt Lyon for the tip!)
A week ago we linked to a story that brought fresh iPhone Nano rumors to the foreground. Today those rumors are picking up a tiny bit of speed. Seems the folks who brought us leaked iPhone 3G and 4th gen iPod Nano cases are listing an iPhone Nano case.
Of course, an iPhone Nano presents certain problems. Would Apple just stuff a standard 320×480 iPhone screen into a tighter package, like the iPod Nano? (Or BlackBerry Bold for that matter). They’d need to do something to avoid fracturing the mobile WiFi platform they’ve taken so much trouble to establish. And capacitive touch screens, for all their responsiveness, require beefy enough targets to hit with a finger. Would certain features be cut that just couldn’t scale down effectively? Or would this truly be phone-and-iPod only (see mock up, above), leaving the “breakthrough internet device” space for the full featured, full sized model?
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Could just be the lack of Macworld hype making the intertubes all crazy. Macrumors, for their part, says:
To add more uncertainty into the mix, we’ve heard that some of Apple’s initial plans for Macworld may have been delayed. So, even if an iPhone Nano was originally in the works, we’re not sure when we’d actually see one.
At a special event, on Apple’s schedule, on Apple’s terms, with Steve Jobs on a stage maybe?
For anyone who has been waiting for a software unlock soltution for their iPhone 3G, it looks like you patience will be paying off in a short few weeks. As Dev Team member MuscleNerd stated “Target date is a few days after Christmas”.
With this good news comes some bad news… in order to be one of the first to be able to unlock your iPhone 3G it will be required that you are running the 01.45.00 baseband. Which would mean you are on 2.0 firmware. Now who is actually running the 2.0 firmware at this moment in time is beyond me but we have to take what comes our way. There is a possibility that a unlock will come for the 02.11.07 baseband (2.1 firmware) as well but that is not for certain. And if you are running the 2.2 firmware currently you must have followed our guide to jailbreak 2.2 firmware on a Mac while preserving the baseband. The Dev-Team did warn you and we relayed the warning numerous times.
Here is what the Dev-Team had to say recently:
Right now for 02.11.07 we have some untested ideas. Ideally we’d have something solid by the end of next week, but if we don’t then it would be a staged release, with 01.45.00 first out of the gate.
Here is a list of the iPhone firmware versions and their matching basebands…
- 2.0.0 Firmware & 01.45.00 Baseband
- 2.0.1 Firmware & 01.48.02 Baseband
- 2.0.2 Firmware & 02.08.01 Baseband
- 2.1.0 Firmware & 02.11.07 Baseband
- 2.2.0 Firmware & 02.28.00 Baseband
Those of you lucky enough to still be on 2.0.0 or the 01.45.00 baseband will be able to unlock first. If you are at 2.1 or used PwnageTool to update to 2.2 then you will have the 2.11.07 baseband. This will be the second baseband to receive an unlock.
Those on the 02.28.00 baseband will likely have to wait a while before an unlock is released so make sure you use a tutorial on our site to jailbreak and update rather then using iTunes directly.
If this has totally confused you, accept our apologies. An iPhone 3G software unlock should be here before New Years for the first baseband of the device. Other unlocks for later basebands should come shortly after. Keep hanging in there, the Dev-Team will take care of you!
[Via iPhone in Canada.ca]
With Macworld fast approaching, the rumor rate should begin increasing exponential. iTablets will be hot once again, of course, as will the iPhone Nano. Says MacRumors:
[iDealsChina] claims the product will be announced at Macworld San Francisco 2009. iDealsChina, however, has a very mixed track record. In August, it passed off renderings of knock-off iPod clones as the real thing and also claimed that the new iPod Touch would have GPS (it did not). The site, however, did previously have access to Griffin case moldings that appeared to be real. The sizes could correlate with smaller touch screen photographs that iLounge published in June.
MacRumors thinks such an iPhone Nano may break App compatibility with the existing iPhone and iPod Touch due to screen size and resolution. Shrinking the screen down using a higher DPI, like the iPod Nano would lessen part of the problem (though hitting tinier capacitive touch targets would no doubt be an interesting exercise in frustration).
What do you think? iPhone Nano for Macworld? And is it a Good Thing?
Apple Insider has published a rumor saying Apple’s iTunes service is about to match Amazon MP3 by going DRM free. This follows on a previous story saying Apple was in negotiations to do just that.
Since the introduction of iTunes Plus (the name given to the higher-quality 256 bit DRM-Free music), only EMI has allowed Apple to carry their music in that format, with Warner, Sony, and Universal refusing to do so, instead only offering them to iTunes competitors like Amazon, Napster, etc.
What’s changed? Maybe nothing. Or maybe iTunes has just kept growing stronger and is now in a position where they can negotiate the same, consumer friendly deal?
The rumor says we may see the change as soon as tomorrow, December 9th.
