iPhone 3G case molds from Griffin leaked

Το Engadget έχει μία ενδιαφέρουσα (?) φωτογραφία η οποία δείχνει τα καλούπια κατασκευής των cases της Griffin για το iPhone 3G. Ακόμη περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον έχει η 3-D αναπαράσταση του ίδιου του iPhone 3G (!),σύμφωνα πάντα με τις διαστάσεις των καλουπιών:



Δείτε το 3-D model του iPhone 3G (based on the case molds):

iPhone 3G leaked photos

Όσο πλησιάζουμε στις 9 Ιουνίου και στο WWDC τόσο πληθαίνουν και οι ‘iPhone 3G leaked photos‘. Οι τελευταίες μας έρχονται από το iPhoneclub.nl και το MacFreak.nl και μοιάζουν αρκετά με μία leaked photo που είχαμε παρουσιάσει πριν από μερικές ημέρες.

iPhone 3G (3 Colors - extra slim)

Πηγή iphonehellas.gr

Οι φήμες συνεχίζονται για την εμφάνιση του νέου iPhone και εδω καποιες φωτό του πολυαναμενόμενου iphone 3G (?) :

Simplify Media Mobile for Iphone/Ipod Touch

This is another great app for iphone and ipod touch. Works great and has purpose. It allows you to stream music from iTunes, Winamp or just any folders you choose to your iPhone or iPod Touch. It only works on wifi but you can be anywhere. So for example I set up the service on a computer at work and can access the music from home. Even better, you can share your music with up to 30 other friends. They just need a Simplify Media account and install their software on your computer. They have it for Mac, Windows and Linux. You can download the software online at simplifymedia.com and the app is available through the Ste source.

I tested this streaming from my desk computer at work which was pulling .mp3s from our backup server of everyone’s iTunes :) It’s on cable internet and I’m at home on DSL. So now when I’m at home or work or anywhere there is wifi I can access all my music without worrying about my iPhone’s 8GB limit. I just need to get a few friends set up with the service and I’ll have tons of music at my finger tips!

More about the application… It pulls in album covers; there’s a link to “buy from iTunes”; buffering songs only took 2-3 seconds; tapping the screen pulls up volume, pause, next button; there’s a section for artist bio that pulls in a picture and info from last.fm; lyrics pull in from LyricWiki; you can hit the home button or lock and music stays playing with a play button in your status bar like iPod; Artist/Song lists have alphabet scrolling; podcast show up also.

No GPS in iPhone 3G (?)

Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες μέσα από την France Telecom (από το τεχνικό τμήμα το οποίο δοκιμάζει τα νέα iPhone στο δίκτυο της Orange) το πολυαναμμενόμενο iPhone 3G ΔΕΝ έχει GPS module!

“It has no GPS module and positioning could only be done via GSM, 3G or WiFi networks, just like in old version” φέρετε να δήλωσε μηχανικός τηλεπικοινωνιών της France Telecom.

Πηγή: iPhonity.com

iPhone v2.0 beta (build 5A292g) adds geo-tagging to Camera.app and Maps.app

Το iPhone Software v2.0 Update (build 5A292g) το οποίο δόθηκε σε περιορισμένο αριθμό εταιρικών συνεργατών της Apple, φαίνεται πως έχει μία ενδιαφέρουσα προσθήκη: geo-tagging για το Camera.app και το Maps.app!

*geo-tagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to media files such as latitude and longitude coordinates (or even names of places) so that those files can later be referenced, searched, and grouped based on their origin.

Δείτε τα screen-shots:


(Στo General Settings θα υπάρχει η επιλογή ON/OFF του ‘Location Services‘ ώστε οι χρήστες του iPhone να ενεργοποιούν κατά βούληση την προσφερόμενη υπηρεσία)

[From Appleinsider]

ml_iPod vs iTunes (sync music to your iPhone via winamp)

Το ml_iPod είναι μία εφαρμογή με την οποία μπορείτε να συγχρονίσετε τη μουσική σας στο iPhone (ή/και σε όλα τα iPod), χωρίς να χρησιμοποιήσετε το iTunes.

Ιδιαίτερα βολικό για όσους ταξιδεύουν συχνά και δεν έχουν το laptop με την iTunes library συνέχεια μαζί τους, ή για όσους απλά δεν συμπαθούν το iTunes.

Στην ουσία, το ml_iPod είναι ένα plug-in για το Winamp, το οποίο όταν εγκατασταθεί, επιτρέπει την αντιγραφή μέσω του Winamp Media Library.

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες για το ml_iPod μπορείτε να βρείτε εδω: mlipod.sourceforge.net

“Enable 3G” iPhone’s leaked screenshot is FAKE!

Το διάσημο screen-shot του “Enable 3G” το οποίο υποτίθεται ότι ανήκει στο firmware v2.0 του νέου iPhone 3G, είναι τελικά μία καλοδουλεμένη εικόνα στο Photoshop!

Όλα άρχισαν από το Chronic Productions Blog, όπου δημοσιεύτηκαν κάποια strings του νέου firmware με αναφορές στην ύπαρξη 3G. Στη συνέχεια, κυκλοφόρησε και το υποτιθέμενο screen-shot από το ίδιο blog!

Piper: WWDC to bring new iPhone, new MacBooks?

The 3G iPhone will be the focus of the WWDC keynote on June 9th, but it will not dominate completely, say analysts with Piper Jaffray. The new phone is expected to be the highlight of a speech by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, but predictions also say he will spend a portion of time reintroducing the App Store, and the iPhone 2.0 firmware, which should contain a number of features that have yet to be announced. Some developer accounts have pointed to GPS functions, Safari YouTube support, and contact search.

Beyond this Jobs is expected to speak about Mac OS X Leopard, and possibly debut redesigned MacBooks and/or MacBook Pros. The chance of this is rated at 60 percent, as both notebooks have remained mostly unchanged externally since 2006. The Pro in particular is said to resemble the PowerBook G4, which was originally launched in 2003. If Apple does not reveal new notebooks at WWDC, the probability of an announcement is expected to hit 80 percent before the fall, when many students will want new computers.

WWDC08: Full schedule of WWDC posted

Conference Schedule

See how your week of exploring the latest Apple technologies will come together at WWDC. The conference schedule provides an overview, and detailed views, of the sessions and labs planned for the entire week. View each day in detail and toggle between the morning and afternoon to see the complete schedule.

Full Schedule

MacRumors member dennisalio has created an excellent video. It’s taken him three months to create and I say it’s totally worth it. Here’s a quote from his thread:

I’m a VERY frequent lurker I guess, filmmaker and huge Mac fan.
I just shot a music video that takes place on the Mac OSX desktop. It’s really cool… It uses the Mac OSX template as a canvas. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean.
Please link it up if you’re a Mac fan!!! =) I promise you won’t be disappointed (because I wasted 3 months of my life making it hahaha)

It’s really fantastic, he should submit it to Apple. For those who haven’t seen it yet here it is.

Good work Dennis!

Apple debuts extended version of ‘Sad Song (Vista Blues)’ ad from ‘Get a Mac’ campaign (with video)

Apple has released an extended version (1:34) of "Sad Song," the company's latest ad from their ubiquitous "Get a Mac" campaign:

Kingdom Lores brings 3D gaming to the iPhone

The iPhone is an excellent target for gaming. The device’s glorious multi touch display is very intuitive for gaming, and the device has a relatively beefy internal specification sheet. Gaming and the iPhone are no strangers, and that is putting it mildly. Until now though, there have been no real 3D games. Kingdom Lores is out now, and it the first of its kind.

The game is being developed by Marco Giorgini by using a custom OpenGL rendering engine. This provides excellent rendering of the graphics, and as seen above, the iPhone does a great job. The game can be played in portrait mode, as seen here. Or in landscape, which will provide a first person view of the game play. The object of the game is to explore territories and slay dragons.

The game is not available in Installer just yet. You can get the game though, and manually load it onto your device. It can be had here. The game seems somewhat complete, and hopefully will be made available very soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCcT50GgjNs

100% of MacBooks Getting LEDs in 2009

According to the Taiwan-based Economic Daily News (who has spoken with Apple's chief LED supplier), every MacBook shipped in 2009 will have an LED-backlit display. Consider the news unconfirmed, but the transition would certainly make sense, as Apple already uses LEDs in its Macbook Pro and Macbook Air lines. Aside from LEDs being an eco-friendly solution for display production, they're also excellent for brightness, color and battery life. We'll be pleased to see this happen. Literally.

Using Twitter for Home Automation

Control Lights with Twitter from Justin Wickett on Vimeo.

Even though most Twitter users use it to inform the world of their bowel movements, Justin Wickett came up with a slightly more clever use for the app. He uses an INSTEON switch and a computer in order to monitor a Twitter account for the on or off switch command send from his cellphone. When it's received, the computer flicks the switch and turns off the light. Between the text message delay, the fact that he needs a COMPUTER hooked up, and the general way-too-geekiness of Twitter, he's better off setting up an actual home automation system for his lights.

iPhone app: iSteamy

To iSteamy είναι μία εφαρμογή σχεδιασμένη ώστε να αναπαράγει φωτογραφίες και βίντεο ερωτικού περιεχομένου στο iPhone σας.


Οι φωτογραφίες και τα βίντεο είναι κατηγοριοποιημένες ενώ δεν λείπε και η δυνατότητα download για τα αγαπημένα σας video / pictures στο “Steamy Room”!

Εγκαταστήσετε το iSteamy:

Installer source: http://repo.codegenocide.com
(Installer Category: Adult)
Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο: iSteamy.net

Personalize your iPhone Lock-screen

Το ξέρετε ότι μπορείτε να αλλάξετε το string το οποίο εμφανίζεται στην οθόνη του iPhone -> Lock screen: ‘Slide to unlock‘ με οποιαδήποτε φράση θέλετε?


Διαβάστε πως θα αλλάξετε το ‘Slide to unlock’ με όποια φράση θέλετε:

Συνδεόμαστε με SSH στο iPhone και βρίσκουμε το αρχείο SpringBoard.strings.

/ System / Library / CoreServices / SpringBoard.app / English.lproj / SpringBoard.strings
To κατεβάζουμε στο desctop μας και κρατάμε ένα backup. Ανοίγουμε με το TextWrangler.app (Mac) το αρχείο και βρίσκουμε το key: AWAY_LOCK_LABEL με value Slide to unlock.
Αλλάζουμε το ‘Slide to unlock’ σε κάτι άλλο π.χ ‘iPhone Hellas’ και κάνουμε ένα Restart το iPhone.

iPhone 3G Launch Date Confirmed! (9 June at WWDC)

Όπως αναφέρει το Gizmodo, η ημερομηνία κυκλοφορίας του iPhone 3G επιβεβαιώθηκε και δεν είναι άλλη από τις 9 Ιουνίου!

Οι φήμες για πρόωρη κυκλοφορία του iPhone 3G πλέον καταρίπτονται και η παρουσιάση του κατα την διάρκεια του WWDC θα σημμάνει και την ταυτόχρονη διάθεση του ανά τον κόσμο (π.χ στην Ισπανία το 3G iPhone θα είναι διαθέσιμο από τις 18 Ιουνίου στα εγκαίνια του Telefonica megastore!)

Μπορούμε να περιμένουμε λοιπόν κατά τα τέλη Ιουνίου να είναι διαθέσιμο και στην Ελλάδα…

AT&T to have full HSPA coverage by late June

AT&T will have a complete HSPA-based 3G cellular network by the end of June, the company has announced on Wednesday. The carrier plans to have added the faster, more upload-driven HSUPA component of the spec to six of its remaining 3G markets by the end of next month, giving those areas DSL-like access speeds over wireless: users can anticipate real-world speeds of as much as 1.4Mbps downstream and between 500Kbps to 800Kbps for uploads, AT&T claims.


The company also notes that it will have 3G for nearly all its markets by the end of the year, with 275 individual networks already supporting the standard and 350 supporting the faster data access by the end of the year. Most of these territories already include HSUPA, and all new territories will receive the newer standard as their 3G services go online.

This expansion is seen as crucial to the company's long-term future by the provider, which reiterates its plans to introduce even more advanced specifications. The company expects to launch HSPA+ in 2009 that will provide 20Mbps 3G downloads through a software upgrade and will ultimately replace its network with a 4G service based on Long Term Evolution, a 100Mbps format that will also be used by Alltel and Verizon.

The timing of AT&T's launch brings the expanded coverage to the US just as Apple is expected to unveil a 3G-capable iPhone at WWDC. However, the future cellphone is believed to use an Infineon chipset that only supports the earlier HSDPA component of the HSPA standard, limiting the advantages of the rollout to faster downloads and expanded coverage areas.

Flickery, a simplicity/usability equilibrium

For those of you who are regulars on Flickr, there is a wonderful new image client for Mac. Flickery, from Eternal Storms software, does it all. Well, not everything, but it does most of it. All within this little app, you can view your Photostream, your contact’s Photostream, upload new photos, delete photos, download photos, comment on photos- you name it. I only have a few gripes with the program. Check out the video review.

Product: Flickery
Link: Flickery
Price: Free (still in BETA)
Rating: 9/10

WD intros Mac-ready My Passport Studio drives

Western Digital has introduced a new line of portable hard drives for Macs, the My Passport Studios. The drives are specifically journaled and HFS+-formatted for Macs, and are compatible with Apple's Time Machine utility in Mac OS X Leopard; they are likewise equipped with a FireWire 400 port, in addition to a more standard USB 2.0 connection. A rounded silver case is intended to blend in with other Mac hardware.

The drives also weigh less than five ounces, and feature capacity gauges to more quickly judge remaining space. For simple protection, drawstring carrying bags are bundled in the packaging. Mac OS X 10.4.11 is required; the 250GB drive costs $160, while the 320GB model is $220. Windows users can reformat the Studios as necessary.

Ελληνικά στο iPhone;

Μπορεί η Vodafone να έχει ανακοινώσει την υπογραφή συμφωνίας με την Apple για την διάθεση του iPhone στην χώρα μας εντός του τρέχοντος έτους, αλλά τι γίνεται με την προσθήκη των Ελληνικών στο δημοφιλές gadget; Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι πως αν δεν προστεθεί η Ελληνική γλώσσα σε μενού και πληκτρολόγιο, το iPhone θα αποτύχει μεγαλοπρεπώς στην Ελληνική αγορά.

Πρίν μερικές ημέρες διατέθηκε η 5η δοκιμαστική έκδοση του iPhone SDK όπου συμπεριλαμβάνεται και το πρόγραμμα iPhone Simulator. Με το iPhone Simulator μπορεί ο προγραμματιστής να δοκιμάσει τις εφαρμογές που θα αναπτύξει για το iPhone όπως ακριβώς και στην ίδια την συσκευή. Στην τελευταία δοκιμαστική έκδοση λοιπόν, υπάρχουν ενσωματωμένες οι ρυθμίσεις γλώσσας και πληκτρολογίου. Δυστηχώς εξακολουθεί να απουσιάζει οποιαδήποτε υποστήριξη της Ελληνικής γλώσσας σε όλα τα επίπεδα. Ανύπαρκτη υποστήριξη σε μενού και πληκτρολόγιο και υπαρκτή μόνον σαν επιλογή στο Region Format.

Ευελπιστώ ότι μέχρι την τελική έκδοση του iPhone firmware 2.0 στο WWDC ή τουλάχιστον μέχρι την κυκλοφορία του iPhone στην χώρα μας, θα έχει προστεθεί και η υποστήριξη της Ελληνικής γλώσσας. Αλλιώς το iPhone θα παραμείνει αντικείμενο πόθου για λίγους και απαγορευτικό για την μεγαλύτερη πλειοψηφία των χρηστών στην χώρα μας.

Macworld suggests to (some) powerusers an iMac rather than a Mac Pro

Ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον άρθρο/έρευνα στο Αμερικάνικο Macworld αλλάζει τα δεδομένα σχετικά με το πιο Mac είναι κατάλληλο για τις κατά περίπτωση απαιτήσεις των αγοραστών.
Η μετάβαση σε επεξεργαστές της Intel, αλλά και οι αλλαγές στο hardware των υπολογιστών της Apple, ανατρέπουν τους μέχρι τώρα κανόνες για την επιλογή του πιο αντιπροσωπευτικού Mac, που θα ταιριάζει στις ανάγκες του αγοραστικού κοινού.
Χαρακτηριστικά παραδείγματα των συμπερασμάτων της έρευνας είναι η πρόταση για χρήση των φορητών Mac σε ρόλους dektop μηχανημάτων, αλλά και η πρόταση για αγορά ενός iMac (αξιόλογων πλέον προδιαγραφών, με επεξεργαστές διπλού πυρήνα, μπόλικη μνήμη, κάρτες γραφικών υψηλών απαιτήσεων κλπ.) αντί ενός, κλασικού κάποτε για powerusers, Mac Pro.
• Το άρθρο The new rules for buying a Mac, στο Macworld.com

Steve Jobs to deliver keynote on June 9

Αν και καμία επίσημη ανακοίνωση δεν έχει γίνει ακόμα, το τμήμα Δημοσίων Σχέσεων της Apple επιβεβαιώνει στο Fortune Magazine, ότι ο Steve Jobs θα παραστεί με εναρκτήρια ομιλία στα εγκαίνια της Παγκόσμιας Διάσκεψης Προγραμματιστών της Apple (WWDC 2008), στις 9 Ιουνίου.
Σε άλλο ένα σημερινό άρθρο του ίδιου διαδικτυακού περιοδικού, που ανήκει στο δίκτυο του CNNMoney.com, παρουσιάζεται ο χάρτης με τις χώρες κάλυψης για το iPhone, όπως έχει διαμορφωθεί από τις τελευταίες εξελίξεις.
Η είδηση για το keynote του Jobs αναδημοσιεύεται από το MacsimumNews, απ’ όπου ενημερωθήκαμε και για το σχετικό countdown widget για την WWDC 2008, που μπορούμε να κατεβάσουμε από εδώ.
• Fortune, 3G iPhone: Steve Jobs to deliver keynote June 9.

More 3G iPhone Photos?

Java SE 6 For Mac OS X

"After a long delay, Apple has finally released a version of Java 6 for OS X. 64-bit Intel Macs are starting to see this pushed out via Software Update, but there has not been an announcement for when 32-bit Intel and PowerPC Mac users will get their versions."

AT&T Blocking Out June 15-July 12 for 3G iPhone Launch?

Last year, AT&T limited employee vacation requests between June 15-July 15 in anticipation of the original iPhone launch which took place on June 29th, 2007.

Today, Boy Genius Report publishes another AT&T memo that is again restricting vacation requests, this time between June 15th and July 12th 2008. The reason for the restriction is "to ensure adequate store staffing and to give everyone an equal opportunity to benefit from an exciting product launch." AT&T expects "heavier than normal customer traffic" in their stores due to an "exciting Summer Promotional Launch".

Of course, speculation points to Apple launching their new 3G iPhone during that time. The timeframe is consistent with a previous report that claimed that Apple was targeting "on or around June 27th" to approximately coincide with the one year anniversary of the iPhone launch. Meanwhile, the NYTimes believes that the European launch for the 3G iPhone will be "by the August summer holidays" according to a person close to the situation.

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference takes place between June 9-13th in San Francisco, and could serve as the launching ground for the next generation iPhone.

Orange, other telcos discuss more iPhone expansion

Several more deals are in the works for expanding iPhone distribution, says Thomson Financial News. The group first writes that Orange, owned by France Telecom, is seeking to sell the iPhone outside of its home territory, where the device has been available since November. Orange CFO Gervais Pellissier says his company is currently in negotiations with Apple on the matter, and is looking to bring the iPhone to countries such as Spain and Poland, "among others." The carrier also has operations in regions such as Romania, Slovakia, Israel and the UK.

Separately, meanwhile, Portugal's Sonaecom and Portugal Telecom are said to have approached Apple about distribution in their home country. Thomson cites local newspaper Diario de Noticias, which in turn claims that the companies are angling for a deal similar to that for Italy, where both Vodafone and Telecom Italia will be allowed to sell the iPhone. Vodafone has already scored a contract for Portugal, but there is said to be no exclusivity clause, unlike the earliest iPhone agreements.

iPhone SDK updates to beta 5

Apple has released a new version of its iPhone SDK for developers, bringing the platform to beta 5, build 9M2173a. Little information has been disclosed on changes, except that the software contains bug fixes, and updates to the newest version of the iPhone OS. Other versions of the SDK, however, have gradually revealed unexpected features, such as possible GPS technology, or remote media streaming and control.

Consumer Reports again ranks Apple best in support for both notebooks and desktops

"In what is sure to become more fodder for Mac vs. PC ads, Consumer Reports' latest tech-support survey shows that Apple has the best help-desk support for both laptop and desktop systems," Brad Reed reports for Network World.

"According to the survey, which polled Consumer Reports' subscribers for their experiences with 10,000 desktop and laptop computers, Apple's help desk staff far and away had the highest success rate among computer manufacturers," Reed reports. "Apple's tech support team helped their customers solve problems with their computers more than 80% of the time. Industry-wide, help-desk teams from all companies solved their customers' problems around 60% of the time."

"Additionally, the survey ranked the best places and methods for consumers to get help for their computers. In-store walk-in tech support for Macs provided for free in Apple stores offered the most effective troubleshooting, the survey found, with user problems getting solved 90% of the time," Reed reports.

Leaked AT&T memo points to 3G iPhone release in late June?

A friendly neighborhood AT&T employee forwarded us a purported memo for AT&T retail store employees that could provide a rather telling clue about the next-gen iPhone's release date this summer if it proves true. A similar memo went out last year around this time requesting that employees not take any vacations between June 15 and July 15, and this year those dates are June 15 and July 12 -- which seems suspiciously early, but that's what the man says. The memo cites "an exciting Summer Promotional Launch," which we're guessing doesn't refer to some new Motorola flip phone. Also telling is the fact that employees might be able to take some vacations later within that window when things die down a bit, which seems to imply that Apple could be aiming for a launch date right around the iPhone's one year anniversary of June 29th. How romantic.

Hello, Apple? Unsanctioned Mac clones surface for sale on eBay

"A recent move by a little-known Florida-based solutions provider to openly challenge Apple on its Mac OS X licensing terms and begin selling an unauthorized Mac clone appears to have spawned a copycat," Slash Lane reports for AppleInsider.

"A seller by the name of 'chris555' is now offering on eBay a $549 'Non Apple Mac OS X' system that comes 'pre-loaded with genuine Mac OS X 10.5.' Two such systems are currently available for direct purchase, the seller says," Lane reports.

"Apple, which has historically been quick to thwart attempts on the part of grey marketers to distribute imitations products, has been uncharacteristically silent on the matter. This despite Psystar's open invitation to the Mac maker to formally charge it with a violation of the Mac OS X licensing terms in a court of law," Lane reports.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Apple has been uncharacteristically silent on the matter because Psystar is an Apple plant, placed or silently sanctioned by the Cupertino Mac-maker as a market test. Just kidding. Silly us! Apple's probably just asleep at the wheel (this company is always just sooo unaware of what's going on), or they're formulating a complex, totally new and unique legal strategy for a very simple matter that they've already repeatedly faced before, or maybe they're just wishing on a star for a hundred pink unicorns to stampede Psystar's Florida based warehouse.

AOL Desktop for Mac, new browser, AIM client

AOL on Tuesday unveiled AOL Desktop for Mac, a brand new portal software for the company's internet services, representing the first such major release in five years. The client offers email, messaging, and web browsing services, as well as access to the company's various content channels. AOL includes easy transition tools, which allow users to quickly import AOL favourites and mail from the former Mac OS X client. AOL Desktop for Mac is available from the company's website.

The new application brings with it a new web browser, based off the same open source project as Safari, which shares its web components with the Mac OS X.

AOL Desktop for Mac also includes an exclusive new version of AOL Instant Messenger that integrates closely with the new applications suite, offering access to Buddy Info, AIM Expressions, and Buddy Fly Out.

Both the web browser and AIM client also support tabs, allowing users to easily organize their conversations and web pages without cluttering the interface.

NY Times: 3G iPhone in Europe before August

The 3G broadband version of the iPhone should be on sale in at least some European countries before August, according to the New York Times. The newspaper cites an unidentified source "close to the situation," who says that the timing is connected to plans by Vodafone and Telecom Italia to release the phone across the continent. Specifically, Apple is said to want the 3G version on sale in new countries before the peak of the European vacation season, a time when many people might like to make use of functions such as the phone's mobile web browser.

An Apple spokesman in London, Alan Hely, has meanwhile confirmed the Vodafone and TIM deals, but declined to talk about timing, pricing, or the features of new products. Hely has likewise refused to say whether any of Vodafone's deals outside Italy could be exclusive. It is widely believed by analysts that Apple will shed its exclusivity model with the 3G iPhone, and instead turn to subsidized pricing with the possibility of more expensive unlocked devices.

Apple Includes Chinese Handwriting Recognition in iPhone 2.0 Beta

Apple has quietly included handwriting recognition for Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) into the latest iPhone Firmware 2.0 beta. When you select Chinese input, you are given the option to use handwriting recognition allowing you to draw characters on the screen with your finger. As you write the character, four possibilities appear on the right side of the screen.

Wretch.cc (Chinese) details many screenshots of the new feature, and MacRumors has been able to independently verify that this does exist in the latest iPhone firmware beta available to registered iPhone developers. There is no support for English at this time.

Apple was one of the pioneers in handwriting recognition technology with their Newton Personal Digital Assistant. While the original Newton contained a 3rd party handwriting engine that generated some early bad press, Apple later deployed their own much improved handwriting technology known as "Rosetta". Rosetta technology later found its way into Mac OS X under the name "Inkwell".

Apple recently started hiring for a new Handwriting Recognition Engineer, so it appears Apple is reinvesting in this technology.

Apple Continues Mac OS X 10.5.3 (9d27) Development

Apple issued a new seed of Mac OS X 10.5.3 (build 9D27) to ADC developers tonight, detailing a number of new bug fixes and listing no known issues. The newest version of Mac OS X provides a number of bug fixes and stability improvements over the current public version (10.5.2) but remains in limited testing amongst developers as Apple finalizes its code base. Apple first started testing Mac OS X 10.5.3 on March 28th.

Apple appears to have begun seeding these test versions more frequently than in the past. Historically, Apple has waited until development was wrapping up before accelerating their seeds.

Regardless, we've heard anecdotal reports that even the latest version has stability issues which means Apple still has some work to do. Once released, the 10.5.3 update will be available for free through Mac OS X 10.5's Software Update.

Shipments of 3 Million 3G iPhone Units Expected in June

According to the Taiwan Economic News, the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co in Taiwan has apparently received an order from Apple to produce 25 million units of the high-end 3G iPhone to be shipped before June.

Last March, Hon Hai signed an exclusive contract with Apple to assemble a “more advanced version of the current iPhone”. At that time, Bank of America analyst Scott Craig said that Apple plans to produce around 11 million iPhone units – 3 million in the quarter starting May 2008 and the remaining 8 million in the third quarter.

The online report from the Taiwan Economic News states that Apple is planning to diversify its iPhone product line to widen its customer base in the mobile phone market. As a result, the new model is expected to weigh around 45 grams lesser than the 135-gram current iPhone model. The report also states that the 3G iPhone would offer a 2.8-inch screen instead of the 3.5-inch screen currently offered on the iPhone. Lastly, the new 3G iPhone would replace the aluminum magnesium with a smaller plastic casing.

Shipments of 3G iPhone in June are expected to reach 3 million units with a goal of 25 million units throughout the product’s lifecycle.

Apple is widely expected to announce the 3G iPhone version in June, approximately one year after the launch of the first-generation iPhones.

Vodafone secure ten market iPhone deal for later in 2008

Vodafone have issued a short press release confirming that they will be selling the iPhone in ten markets later on this year. These will include Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey. Previous sources had tipped the Indian deal, but this is a significant step for the carrier overall.

Prior to the launch of the iPhone in Europe, Vodafone was heavily tipped to be a key player. It was a surprise, then, when O2, Orange and T-Mobile ended negotiations with the all-important UK, French and German distribution deals. Vodafone later took T-Mobile Germany to the courts claiming their exclusive deal was “anticompetitive“.

While nothing is confirmed, the fact that the list Vodafone have released contains no markets in which the iPhone is presently sold suggests that either negotiations there are still ongoing or, perhaps more likely, that the existing carriers have been given - and taken - first refusal on the 3G iPhone.

Press Release:

Vodafone to Offer Apple’s iPhone in Ten Markets
06 May 2008

Vodafone today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in ten of its markets around the globe. Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network.

Installer gets an update, app search now available

Installer has just received an update. The new version of Installer supports searching for applications from within the program. It sure took it’s sweet time, but finally, it is here. Finally is indeed right, as Installer has been around for quite some time now. It is looking pretty good right now, but there are a few minor quirks that need to be sorted out.

One minor annoyance is that you have to select a sub category to use the search function. Why it is not implemented in the top level application directory is not clear. Maybe to save on resources while searching through all those applications? Also, it seems that is does not show applications that you have already installed. Not a big deal, but a little odd.

The update to Installer is available now. Next time you fire up Installer, you should be prompted to update. It is a great idea to implement in the Installer, as there are so many applications floating around now days. Hopefully those two trivial annoyances are taken care of in a future update.

iPhone + Vodafone = Love ?

Οι φήμες για την συνεργασία Apple και Vodafone για την διάθεση του iPhone στην Ευρώπη πληθαίνουν και έχουν κάποια λογικά επιχειρήματα όπως το γεγονός ότι η Vodafone έχει σημαντική παρουσία στις περισσότερες Ευρωπαϊκές χώρες. Φαίνεται ότι δεν θα μπορούσε να ζητήσει τίποτα περισσότερο ο καταναλωτής - ταξιδιώτης και η Apple για να προωθήσει όσο το δυνατόν καλύτερα το τηλέφωνο.

Δυστυχώς στην Ελλάδα η Vodafone δεν τα πάει καθόλου καλά με την ποιότητα του σήματος και την κάλυψη ακόμα και μέσα στην Αθήνα. Ας μην μιλήσω για GPRS και 3G υπηρεσίες γιατί εκεί η κατάσταση είναι τόσο τραγική που σε πιάνουν τα γέλια! Η Ελλάδα είναι μικρή αγορά αλλά δεν μπορώ παρά να εκφράσω παράπονο για την κατάσταση και την αδυναμία που έχουν όλες οι μεγάλες εταιρείες να προμηθεύουν τηλέφωνα με το δικό τους μενού, λογότυπο κλπ.

iPhone happy hackers ενωθείτε, το κινητό μας κινδυνεύει!