IntoMobile » Apple

What Does Apple Have Up Their Sleeves for ‘Black Friday’?

James Falconer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:26:48 +0000

Ah, good ‘ol Black Friday is coming up at the end of this week… and frankly, I can’t wait. ‘The Shack’ was among the first to let their Black Friday plans be known, with the Motorola CLIQ on for $79. Not bad. Not great, but not bad if you’re wanting a CLIQ anyway…

Now it’s Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s turn to tease us with a little Apple Online Store promo action. I wonder what they could have in store for us on Black Friday? A free iPhone 3GS with Apple Tablet purchase, perhaps? (joking, but blarg, I wish it were true) At any rate, here’s what the latest teaser promo entails:

Come back to the Apple Online Store the day after Thanksgiving for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You’ll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas — all with free shipping.

Mark your calendar now. And until then, start your research by browsing the Apple Online Store to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.

Black Friday is the one magical time of the year the Apple Online Store actually has a ’sale’, so I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves this year. I’m actually kinda/sorta in need of a new MacBook Pro, so I’m going to be keeping my eyes open for the discount details.

Get your wallets, purses and helmets ready for this Friday. It’s going to be a good one.

[Via: TiPB]

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Chinese iPhone users embrace the AppStore

Will Park — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:18:01 +0000

The iPhone just recently made its debut in China. Thanks to a three-year deal with China Unicom, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has finally managed to bring the iPhone to the world’s largest pool of mobile phone users. With hundreds of millions of wireless subscribers in China, Apple’s got to be raking in iPhone sales, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, the introduction of the iPhone is bringing in some serious revenue, but that money isn’t necessarily coming from iPhone sales. Turns out, the iPhone AppStore is a huge hit in China.

China Unicom reportedly sold just 5,000 iPhones during its first week of sales. China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiobing says he’s satisfied with that number, but in a country that boasts more wireless users than there are people in the US, 5,000 units is a really small number. The silver lining, though, is that the introduction of the Chinese iPhone opened the doors to the AppStore. iPhone users in China have so far generated $1 million in legit iPhone app revenue from the AppStore.

It all makes sense. China Unicom’s iPhone is currently crippled. Apple disabled the WiFi radio on Chinese iPhones to comply with China’s Golden Shield Project. Considering that gray-market iPhones with fully functional WiFi radios are readily available in China, it’s not surprising to hear that China Unicom’s iPhones aren’t blockbuster hits. The flip-side is that there are an estimated 2 million iPhones roaming across China, most of them coming through unofficial channels. All those iPhones are likely driving users to embrace the AppStore. China Unicom also hopes to have a WiFi-capable iPhone available by the end of the year, which could boost AppStore revenue even further.

Still, things may not be all rainbows and happy faces for Apple’s Chinese AppStore revenue. iPhone app piracy is a significant threat to Apple’s bottom line, and could come back to bite Apple. It’s unclear just how much of the $1 million in iPhone app sales came from users looking to download an app with the intention of pirating the software, but it would be interesting to see how China’s pirated app ecosystem compares to the legit AppStore market.

[Via: WSJ]

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Craaaazy Konami iPhone Games Selling for $.99; These Prices are Insaaane!

Daniel Perez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:08 +0000

Konami has currently marked down the prices of all of their titles on the App Store until November, 30th 2009. ALL Konami titles are listed at $.99, and if you’ve been curious about any of their titles, now is the time to open up your virtual wallets and get to downloading. The titles that Konami currently have up on the App Store are:

It should be noted that all of these prices are only effective for only the US App Store, so for those of you not able to access the US App Store, I submit this commercial of Crazy Eddie to hopefully cheer you up on not being able to take advantage of this current price drop.

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Follow-Up! iPhone Still on its way to South Korea?

James Falconer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:25:52 +0000

Just a quick follow-up here from something that broke in late September. The last we heard, South Korea’s telecommunications regulator gave the thumbs up to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and the iPhone… clearing the way for the iPhone 3GS to make its way to South Korean shores by the end of November. According to the Korea Communications Commission, the iPhone ‘can be launched at any time’.

Interestingly enough, both carriers have been surprisingly quiet on the issue. No confirmation that either carrier will or will not carry the device has come down the tube yet, so we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled to KT Corp and SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) to see what kind of move they end up making.

If memory serves me right, we could end up seeing the iPhone in South Korea as early as November 28th (on KT). That’s the expected launch date I’ve heard before… But, we’ll see.

‘We will try to release the iPhone as soon as possible’ noted Yeom Woo-jong, spokesman for KT.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for an iPhone 3GS debut in South Korea at the end of the month.

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BREAKING: 3,000 to 4,000 unlocked iPhones stolen from Belgium

Stefan Constantinescu — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:33:19 +0000

Belgium, one of the few countries in the world that sell the iPhone without a SIM lock, is now home to one of the most elaborate thefts of Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) products ever recorded. A hole was cut in the ceiling of a warehouse owned by Ceva Logistics, a hole that was over the exact location where between 3,000 and 4,000 iPhones were being stored. While the IMEI numbers of the stolen iPhones can be blocked from working in Belgium, the thieves can just sell them in another country where such a ban would be useless. There are some disagreements as to whether the number of iPhones stolen is closer to 3,000 or 4,000, but both sources reporting on this story (De Standaard and Gazet van Antwerpen) claim that roughly 2 million EUR worth of goods was stolen.

[Via: Apple 2.0]

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Achtung! Braaaains! Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies Brings Nazi Zombies to iPhone

Daniel Perez — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:37:58 +0000

If you’re a fan of shooing Nazis and Zombies, then this game might be what you’ve been waiting for. Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies brings the consoles’ ever popular “Night of the Undead” map pack, where you and your teammates work together to defend a point from wave after wave of Nazi Zombies, and brings it to the iPhone.

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies features 2-player co-op over bluetooth, as well as 4-player co-op over Wi-Fi. Players can also create public or private online matches, so fight alongside strangers or your your best buds to fight off the zombie invasion. Controls are all on-screen and offer auto-targeting of the shooting reticule, but players can also zoom in and shoot from a more accurate perspective.

Activision also notes that Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies will feature new downloadable content in the future which will keep you Nazi Zombie murdering SOBs coming back for more! Jawohl!

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Apple looking to start making their own iPhone games?

Stefan Constantinescu — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:15:11 +0000

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is looking to hire a “Game/Media Software Engineer” with “3-4 years of video game development experience” that has “shipped at least one AAA title” according to a job listing discovered by AppleInsider. Is this a sign that Apple is looking at becoming a first party developer? Maybe, maybe not. In all likelihood the fruity west coast company is simple looking to bundle a decent game with their device so customers will be more willing to check out the App Store for more titles. That or the company is looking for someone who understands that game development is all about providing an immersive experience for the user and people who possess that talent can use that ability to create a richer user interface. Whatever the answer is, we’ll find out soon enough. In a little over 7 months the new iPhone is coming!

Full text from the job listing below:

The interactive media group is looking for a skilled software engineer who wants to work as part of a small highly motivated team to work on interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position on the team is to help design and implement interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position also requires a creative thinker who can contribute and comment on the design process as well as being flexible enough to aid in all aspects of production such as asset management and able to work to a deadline.

Looking for skilled engineer with the following background:

Strong C / C++ / Objective-C / iPhone background preferred

3-4 years of video game development experience, shipped at least one AAA title

Passionate gamer

Skills in audio systems, graphics pipeline, and network programming a plus

Ability to work in small dynamic team

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Nippon Airways To Offer iPhone Connection Service for New York City to Tokyo Travelers

Daniel Perez — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:29:07 +0000

In today’s world, it seems a lot of smartphone users tend to rely on their own entertainment to get through air travel. Movies, TV shows, even games can keep us busy for a good chunk of our flight. Nippon Airways recently announced they will be making some changes to their New York City to Tokyo flights, one of which is the addition of allowing passengers to connect their iPhone / iPod to their individual LCD screen to display videos and pictures. Best of all, the iPhone / iPod connectors also charge your device while it’s being used.

You would think this kind of service would only be available to first-class fliers, but thankfully, Nippon Airways is offering the service to all of their passengers. I definitely see the benefit for offering this service since I for one love to watch some TV shows or movies that I’ve got ready for travel, but having the video right in front of you instead of your lap can make the experience that much better. All I ask is that no one bugs me for a spare earbud to watch an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm along with me. I likes to hear my Larry David with both ears, thank you very much.

Now… if I could only find a reason to fly to Japan…

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Apple iPhone takes third place in Q3 global smartphone sales

Will Park — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:58:03 +0000

There’s no denying the almost magical draw of the iPhone and the world of good it’s done for Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s bottom line. A new report from Gartner today backs up that notion with data that has the Apple iPhone accounting for 17.1% of global smartphone sales in Q3 2009. That figure puts Apple in the No. 3 spot, behind Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Research In Motion (BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM)), as far as global smartphone market share.

Apple shipped some 7 million iPhones in the third quarter of 2009. The continued success of smartphones like the iPhone is fueled by a disproportionate growth in the mobile phone market that has the smartphone segment growing 12.8% year-on-year while the overall mobile phone segment languished with just 0.1% year-over-year growth.

It’s clear that smartphones are here to stay and will soon become the “norm” in the mobile space. Can Apple sustain its third-place position in the face of hot new smartphones running the Android operating system? It’s going to be a tough battle, and we can’t wait to watch it all unfold.

[Via: MacRumors]

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Brief: Bill Lee, lawyer who represented Broadcom, will represent Apple in case against Nokia

Stefan Constantinescu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:34:06 +0000

Law.com posted something that probably very few IntoMobile readers care about, but I’ll share it none the less:

In Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s big patent showdown with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) over iPhone technology, it will be Alston & Bird versus Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Wilmer’s co-managing partner Bill Lee made an appearance for Apple on Tuesday in a stipulation filed in Delaware federal district court.

There may be no lawyer in America more familiar with the technology behind smart phones than Lee. For years, he represented Broadcom (NSDQ: BRCM) in its battles with Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) over phone patents. That litigation ended in April when Qualcomm agreed to pay Broadcom $891 million.

When Nokia filed its suit alleging infringement of ten patents, we noted the conspicuous absence of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges. The firm had been inseparable from Nokia through its global war against Qualcomm, which ended on the steps of Delaware Chancery Court last year. As we reported, Alston & Bird has done quite a bit of litigating for Nokia as well.

The same is true of Wilmer for Apple, though this appears to be the highest-profile case Bill Lee & Co. have taken on for Apple. According to the stipulation both parties agreed to, Apple has until December 14 to respond to Nokia’s complaint. Some observers are expecting that answer will include a countersuit.

For those who are not aware of what’s going on, Nokia sued Apple for violating 10 wireless patents. Nilay Patel from Engadget did a fantastic job at covering the details of the case, it’s consequences, and likely results. Expect to be reading about Apple vs. Nokia for at least a year, probably two. Things like this never end as fast as you’d like them to, and the results are never what you expect. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. You’ll keep on buying the latest iPhones or Nokia smartphones.

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Analyst: Nokia sells the most phones, but Apple makes the most money

Stefan Constantinescu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:47:31 +0000

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) makes close to 4 out of every 10 handsets sold on the planet and in Q3 2009 the Finnish firm made $1.1 in operating profit on the sale of 108.5 million units. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) sold “only” 7.4 million iPhones, yet they made $1.6 billion in profit. This is the first time in the history of mobile telecommunications that someone has made more money than Nokia on mobile phones. These figures were provided by Alex Spektor, Analyst at Strategy Analytics. His colleague Neil Mawston, Director of Wireless Device Strategies, had this piece of advice to offer:

“Nokia’s profit margin for its handset division has been shrinking during the 2009 global economic downturn. Strategy Analytics believes that the United States, where Nokia now trails Apple in marketshare, is the key to Nokia’s recovery in 2010. A successful fight on Apple’s high-profit home turf can simultaneously help to revitalize Nokia’s margins and to put a check on Apple’s surging growth.”

I’m not really surprised, and you should not be either. Just about every other market operates the same way. Porsche is the world’s most profitable auto maker, but they don’t sell nearly the amount of cars that Ford does. Porsche also doesn’t make a model that sells for $12,000, yet Ford has such a model, and plenty of them too. Ford’s highest end product, the Ford GT, is also pile of poop compared to anything the Germans have to offer. Different companies make different products for different people. Apple makes the best smartphone on the planet (my opinion, not universally shared, don’t complain, I don’t care) because the people working in the handset division concentrate on high end devices. Nokia is a huge company, but how many people do you think work on the 20 EUR devices that go to the emerging economies around the world, and the 100 EUR devices that go to people who are not that well off in West European countries, and how many people are left to work on the N97, N900, and other high end models?

Can Nokia make the best smartphone or are they in an environment where it simply isn’t possible?

[Via: TechCrunch]

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Jailbroken iPhones in Australia get hit with first iPhone worm

Will Park — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:57:44 +0000

Jailbroken iPhones beware, if you have SSH installed, you’re going to want to change your default root password quick. Like lickity-split quick. Following the jailbroken iPhone hack that held Dutch iPhones for ransom, another hacker is targeting Australian iPhones that have been jailbroken and are still running the default SSH password. Hacker “ikex” has created what seems to be the first iPhone worm that roots (no pun intended) out jailbroken iPhones and replaces the wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley. The “ikee” worm then looks for other vulnerable iPhones on its network and tries to keep on “rickrolling” on.

If you’re not jailbroken with SSH installed, or your outside of Australia, you’re probably in the clear for now. But, if SSH is something you’ve dabbled with in the past, it might behoove you to change your password as soon as possible.

[Via: EngadgetMobile]

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Verizon to pick up the iPhone in Q3 2010?

Will Park — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:09:37 +0000

Previously leaked image of a rumored 2.8-inch iPhone touch panel

AT&T (NYSE: T)’s iPhone exclusivity deal, by most accounts, will come to an end in mid-2010. When that happens, iPhone fans hesitant to leave Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s network might finally have a chance to put a Verizon iPhone in their pockets. In fact, according to a new report from OTR Global proves accurate, the iPhone might very well hit the Verizon Wireless network in the third quarter of 2010.

Word on the street has Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) putting in orders to build a batch of iPhones equipped with a new hybrid UMTS/CDMA chip capable of surfing Verizon’s CDMA network as well as the 3G UMTS networks already used by carriers like AT&T. Apple is said to have tapped Asustek subsidiary Pegatron to manufacture the new iPhone, rather than current iPhone manufacturer Hon Hai.

There’s also talk of the hybrid iPhone sporting a smaller 2.8-inch touchscreen. We’d previously seen leak photos showing the 2.8-inch touchscreen panel sitting next to the 3.5-inch panel used on all current iPhone iterations, but we’ve yet to see a smaller-screened iPhone come out of Apple’s R&D labs. Will the rumored hybrid iPhone be the first to hit market with a smaller touchscreen?

At this point, nothing is confirmed. But, with a little luck, we might see Verizon picking up the iPhone in the second half of next year. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects AT&T’s business next year.

The question is – will the prospect of a Verizon iPhone keep you from pulling the trigger on another AT&T iPhone or Verizon’s Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid?

[Via: AppleInsider]

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Hacker cracks latest iPhone OS, Apple starts looking for iPhone security manager

Will Park — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:45:04 +0000

The cat-and-mouse game between Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and would-be iPhone hackers is about to get a little more interesting. Following the recent release of “blacksn0w,” an iPhone unlocking tool capable of unlocking new iPhone 3GS’s running the latest iPhone OS, Apple has posted a new job listing for an “iPhone OS Platform Security Manager.” Apple is apparently looking for someone to head the development team tasked with securing iPhone boot-up and operating system installation as well as other aspects of iPhone platform security.

We’re not sure if Apple is looking for someone new to fill the position, or if Apple wants to replace the current iPhone OS Platform Security Manager. In either case, it’s pretty clear that the iPhone maker wants to make sure that hackers like George “geohot” Hotz and the iPhone Dev Team aren’t able to keep cracking the iPhone.

The back-and-forth between hackers and Apple is an ongoing saga juicier than your daily soap operas. The iPhone and iPhone 3G were initially jailbroken (the process of opening the file-system to allow unauthorized application installs) and unlocked to work with any GSM network, courtesy of the iPhone Dev Team. Apple then updated the iPhone OS to close the jailbreak exploit known as “24kpwn,” eventually updating the baseband firmware (the code that controls how the iPhone connects to wireless networks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)) from version 04.26 to 05.11 to prevent unlocking. iPhone hacker geohot countered with his “blackra1n” jailbreak utility, following that up with the release of “blacksn0w” to unlock the latest iPhone 3GS baseband (05.11) to work with GSM networks around the world.

That pretty much brings us up to speed (in a nutshell, from a very small nut). The iPhone platform is, at this point, jailbroken and unlocked. Now it’s Apple’s turn.

It’s conceivable that Apple’s incoming iPhone security manager will put an end to baseband 05.11 unlocks, but it’s hard to see Apple ever locking down the iPhone completely. Still, if you’re interested in jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone, you’re best bet is to jump on board soon.

[Via: NetworkWorld]

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iPhone game developer sued for farming phone numbers

Will Park — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:34:36 +0000

iPhone gaming can be hazardous to your privacy, apparently. A security hole in the iPhone OS allows someone with the right know-how to design an iPhone app to secretly learn an iPhone’s phone number. The problem is serious enough that iPhone game developer Storm8, creators of Vampires Live and iMobsters, has been hit with a class action lawsuit for allegedly collecting the phone numbers of iPhone gamers without their knowledge or consent.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco on behalf of Washington State resident Michael Turner, claims that Storm8 included “malicious software code” for gathering phone number data into the company’s iPhone games. “Storm8 has written the software for all its games in such a way that it automatically accesses, collects, and transmits the wireless telephone number of each iPhone user who downloads any Storm8 game,” alleges the suit.

In its defense, Storm8 acknowledged back in August that it was getting phone number data from its iPhone games. The company claims a “bug” was to blame.

What’s interesting here is that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) didn’t catch the supposed “bug” before approving the game for the AppStore. Apple’s getting really good at rejecting iPhone apps that don’t fit into the company’s narrow view of acceptable content, but it seems they still need to work on the basics – like rejecting potential spyware.

Should Apple be held accountable for letting an iPhone app embedded with “malicious software code” onto the AppStore? Should Apple pull the app on grounds that it’s collecting iPhone users’ phone numbers? We’d like to hear what you think in the comments below.

[Via: boingboing]

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Rumor: Next generation iPhone to be RFID enabled

Stefan Constantinescu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:45:45 +0000

Chalk this one up as a highly suspicious piece of information, but Einar Rosenberg, who is in charge of the Near Field Communications group on LinkedIn, a social network no one really uses anymore except those trying to find a higher paying job and to show off which fancy schools or companies they’ve worked for, is saying that a highly reputable source has told him that there are 4th generation iPhone prototypes floating around with a built in RFID reader:

Had to share this news. A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.

If Apple does it, expect every phone manufacturer and their sister to begin pumping out NFC enabled phones, at least for service discovery and sync.

This just reinforces what we knew based on the two separate patents Apple submitted that had the iPhone enabled to read RFID tags. I’m told that the touch project video and the BT SIG’s specs were all driving forces to push this forward as well as other factors.

Guess I’ll be touching my iPhone to my Mac to link them together to sync iTunes by next year.

This is ballsy, and if it does happen … well then you’re looking at the start of something big. Apple was the one who pushed the rest of the handset makers to start making touch screen devices en masse, so if the 4th generation iPhone due to come out some time in 2010 comes with RFID then you can expect everyone else to follow.

iPhone + RFID + all those devices connected to an iTunes account = wicked awesome.

[Via: Near Field Communications World]

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AT&T to offer the 8GB iPhone 3GS for $99?

Dusan Belic — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:54:56 +0000

File this under “so not confirmed,” but it seems AT&T (NYSE: T) has found a way to fight Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s attack of the Droids. Apparently, the carrier will offer its best-selling iPhone 3GS 8GB for $99. For that price, they may have a chance in the upcoming Christmas season. I can already see the commercial – hundred bucks buys you access to hundred thousand apps, beat that Verizon.

As I said, it’s not confirmed but definitely sounds logical. We’ll see…

[Via: BGR]

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Apple App Store Crosses 100,000 App Threshold

James Falconer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:58:26 +0000

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has just announced a milestone of sorts. 100,000 apps are now available in the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. 15,000 of which are fart apps (kidding).

“The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The iPhone SDK created the first great platform for mobile applications and our customers are loving all of the amazing apps our developers are creating.”

While many developers complain about a frustrating submission and inclusion process, and others simply complain about the lack of quality overall (crappy free apps)… there’s no disputing that the App Store is the ‘place to be’ for developers looking to make some coin.

In the months and years ahead, I’m REALLY looking forward to see what happens on the whole ‘App Store’ scene. Me thinks the Apple App Store and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android Market are going to tangle toe-to-toe. With Android’s rapidly growing developer base, not to mention the proliferation of Android devices in the second half of 2009… Apple and Google are no doubt gearing up for a fierce battle in 2010. Can I get a seconder?

[Read]

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Unlock your factory fresh iPhone 3GS with ‘blacksn0w’ (OS 3.1.2 and baseband 05.11 friendly)!

Will Park — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:06:40 +0000

If you accidentally updated your iPhone 3G/3GS to the latest iPhone OS 3.1/3.1.2, then you’re also stuck with baseband version 05.11. If you recently bought a factory fresh iPhone 3GS with OS 3.1 or 3.1.2 already loaded, then you’re in the same boat. That used to be a bad thing, because baseband 05.11 couldn’t be unlocked to work with unofficial SIM cards. Today’s release of “blacksn0w” changes all that. The blacksn0w software unlock utility is now available to unlock any iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS running the latest iPhone OS 3.1.2 and baseband 05.11!

Yes, that includes brand new, out-of-the-box, iPhone 3GS’s.

If you’re running an older version of the baseband (04.26), simply jailbreak your iPhone and run Ultrasn0w. You can find your baseband firmware version by navigating to Settings>General>About>Modem Version on your iPhone. We have jailbreak (PwnageTool) directions here and unlock (ultrasn0w) directions here.

For the rest of you in the “baseband 05.11″ boat, keep reading for a step-by-step tutorial to unlock your iPhone…

First, you’ll need to jailbreak your iPhone. We’re going to use the blackra1n jailbreak utility for this guide. You can use PwnageTool, but it will require you download blacksn0w separately. Just follow this guide and you’ll be fine. (if you’re already jailbroken, skip to the unlock section)

Download blackra1n from blackra1n.com (choose Mac or PC version)
Extract blackra1n to your desktop
Execute blackra1n with a double-click
Connect your iPhone 3G/3GS to your computer
Click “make it ra1n”
- Your iPhone will reboot
You’ll see geohot’s picture upon reboot
Let blackra1n do it’s thing and wait for reboot
Once rebooted, you’ll be told your iPhone is now jailbroken

Now you’ll unlock your iPhone 3G/3GS’s baseband (version 05.11 only) – check your baseband version by navigating to Settings>General>About>Modem Version on your iPhone.

Find the “ra1n” app on your homescreen and run it
Hit the “sn0w” button
Let the app work its magic, it’s unlocking your baseband
Once your iPhone 3G/3GS is unlocked, you’ll be prompted to close the app
Enjoy your unlocked iPhone! (remember to disable “3G Data” if you’re on T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA)
- You’ll notice that “Cydia” is now installed on your homescreen. This is your jailbreak appstore, it’s your new best friend.

Note: If you want to remove the “ra1n” app, simply fire up the app again and select the “Uninstall blackra1n” option

[Via: geohot]

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China Unicom: Only 5K new iPhone users since launch

Will Park — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:11:38 +0000

China is the world’s largest mobile phone market. Even with crappy sales of iPhones, you’d think the sheer size of the Chinese market was enough to move some serious iPhone volume. And, you’d be wrong. The iPhone went live on China Unicom’s network last week, but has reportedly only sold a disappointing 5,000 iPhones to date. China Unicom lacks WiFi support in order to comply with China’s asinine censorship policies, which could be affecting sales – there’s a healthy iPhone grey market in China, where iPhones roam free with WiFi radios in tow.

China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiobing says that his company is satisfied with iPhone sales so far, and expects to see an additional 1 million 3G subscribers signing up every month as the carrier expands their 3G network. For China Unicom’s sake, we hope the boost in 3G subscribers translates to a boost in iPhone subscribers. They’ve got a ton of iPhones to sell.

[Via: Reuters]

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