Although Apple is closing security holes with the update, hackers have kept opening up the devices.
Apple has released, only through their iTunes application, a 1.1.2 system update for the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
This addressed an "ImageIO" vulnerability that could allow the execution of malicious code through the viewing of a doctored TIFF image, according to Apple.
The malicious TIFF image could cause a buffer overflow that could either crash an application or run code, according to Apple's technical note on the issue.
The problem, Apple said, affects not only the iPhone and iPod Touch with version 1.1.1 software, but also the desktop Mac OS X systems before versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.7 with Security Update 2006-004. Mac OS X 10.4.8 and later are not affected.
The 1.1.2 update also provides an icon in the iTunes source list signifying that the iPhone or iPod Touch's battery is charging. Other changes in the update include: support for event creation; editing in the iPod Touch's Calendar application; separate Custom and Standard ring tone lists; and more support for international languages.
This update breaks AppSnapp, one previous method of "jailbreaking,"—that is, hacking the iPod Touch and iPhone to enable users to place new applications on the main screen.
Users who have installed AppSnapp and then updated to v1.1.2 have said that this does not "brick" their devices, but does remove the installed applications.
However, one group, Conceited Software, has released a jailbreak method for the iPod Touch and iPhone with the 1.1.2 software. Their donationware solution does require users first to restore their devices to the 1.1.1 software and install some software, then update to 1.1.2, and then run the final jailbreak.
Apple representatives could not be reached for comment.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Skype Comes to iPhone
Skype for iPhone is now available, thanks to Shape Services' IM+ Web application.
Shape Services on Monday announced IM+ for Skype for iPhone, a Web application that enables iPhone users to access the Skype messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) network.
IM+ for Skype for iPhone follows the release of similar software for other mobile platforms like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Symbian and J2ME devices. The software taps in to your Skype account, enabling you to make voice calls using SkypeOut credits.
The application works on any network, according to Shape, and doesn't specifically require Wi-Fi.
IM+ for Skype for iPhone follows the release of similar software for other mobile platforms like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Symbian and J2ME devices. The software taps in to your Skype account, enabling you to make voice calls using SkypeOut credits.
The application works on any network, according to Shape, and doesn't specifically require Wi-Fi.
iPhone 1.1.2 Update... Wow?
I know the update will arrive in iTunes shortly, but I can't wait... I guess. 10,000 folks reportedly purchased an iPhone in Germany yesterday, with 1.1.2 already on it, while we veterans in the U.S. are still waiting. We can't have that. I've also been talking to a couple buds in the UK about the buzz over there as it's being released. It sounds pretty familiar and similar, but it sounds like Germany has them beat.
I've been jazzed about the rumors that the update will include a voice memo function, which, to me, is huge. But as I'm waiting for this download, I'm reading from folks who have installed it, that say there is no voice memo feature. They also report no storage feature as well. So... international keyboards is basically it? This is what we're all buzzing about?...
Apple, give us something! Why are we waiting for Voice Memos? How about being able to simply create your own e-mail boxes for keeping/organizing incoming e-mails? These are the basics for a unit like this, in my view. I've been working on different ways to stream audio & video to the iPhone, which is an incredibly cool thing to be able to do, but I still can't create a mailbox?
Is there any good reason for this, other than torture, that I'm not seeing? Steve... I'm sure you've heard, we don't torture. Or was it... no, wait... that's correct.
Well, I suppose we should recognize that it's not 1.2, or 2.0... it's 1.1.2. So far though, it sounds kindof like 1.1.1.1.1.1......2.
There are some rumors today about the OS seeming snappier though. That would be nice I suppose. We'll see if that seems to be the case and will report it to you. Please let us know what your experiences are the first week or two with the update.
I wonder if the reason it's not yet available on iTunes is that there may be different versions still in the works, but they had to get one out for the European release Friday. Otherwise, why would adding it to iTunes take so long? So I think I'll wait 'till I see it in iTunes. Has anyone written a script that automatically clicks the "Check For Update" button every 30 seconds?
The iPhone reviewed
The iPhone's technology is amazing, especially the touchscreen - but being locked to O2 is a worry.
Underneath its sleek exterior and slick advertising, the iPhone relies heavily on a single piece of technology.
Such dependence could be a weakness, but here it's a strength because - to put it simply - the touchscreen is years ahead of anything else on the market. Wave a digit and your contacts scroll by; flick a finger and your pictures fly past. Even for old hands, the accuracy and intuitiveness of the interface should provide a few jaw-dropping moments.
Elsewhere, the software seems equally well crafted: phone calls, SMS and email are straightforward and the iPod functions work well. Even the on-screen virtual keypad - a potential bugbear for those used to hammering real buttons - is intelligent enough to get you texting at a respectable speed.
Wi-Fi access is a doddle, and the Safari browser renders websites beautifully - although sometimes it feels like the web got shrunk in the wash.
There are a few bugs and annoyances, however; the inability to send an SMS to more than one person, or the under-powered 2 megapixel camera. The 8GB memory limit won't raise a smile from music fans, nor will the recessed headphone socket which forces you to use Apple's earbuds.
The biggest problem, though, is the phone network itself. While the call plans available are fairly competitive, the fact that you're running on O2's mobile system makes the trip a little less enjoyable. O2 insists that it is rolling out faster Edge networking where it can, but it's tough to get any reception at all in many places - Edge or otherwise.
It's the iPhone's overall approach to mobile phones that will probably have a lasting influence, however. As the mobile revolution took hold, we all became used to wrestling with the deficiencies of our handsets. But the iPhone cuts through that predictable haze of awkward moments and messy menus: somehow, almost, it is as if Apple has wrangled the cats back into the bag.
Arthur C Clarke's third law of prediction says that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", and - for all its solid engineering - it's the little flourishes that make the iPhone a joy to use. At £269 plus an 18-month contract with O2, it is far from cheap, but even if you decide not to buy one, chances are that in a few years every mobile will have a little of Apple's magic dust sprinkled on it.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Is the iPhone music to your ears?
Apple's rise from the ashes is largely down to the success of the iPod. But how does the new iPhone fare as a media player? Find out in our extended iPhone review.
The piece of the iPhone puzzle which will be most familiar to many potential buyers is the one which has helped turn Apple from a computer brand to a consumer electronics company: the iPod.
The piece of the iPhone puzzle which will be most familiar to many potential buyers is the one which has helped turn Apple from a computer brand to a consumer electronics company: the iPod.Tucked inside the iPhone is, essentially, an iPod Touch with 8GB of Flash memory. Anyone who has used a Touch – released before the iPhone outside of the US – will already have a very good idea of what the handset offers.
The iPod functions can be launched straight from a dedicated button on the bottom right of the home screen, taking you straight into your media library. Nothing revolutionary here – basic navigation is by playlist, artist or song – but, like your contacts list, it is easy to zip through an extensive selection by using your finger to flick through the list.
The touchscreen is, once again, used to simplify the way you find your way through your information. It's also where Cover Flow, the visual navigation tool which Apple bought into iTunes last year, finally comes into its own.
Rolling the iPhone onto its side while in iPod mode will launch Cover Flow, a horizontal sequence of record sleeves that you can speed through with your fingertips. Just tap the cover you want in order to see what music's available, and start listening.
This method of looking through your library always seemed like a luxurious but ultimately pointless bauble to iTunes on a desktop computer – but here, with the addition of a touchscreen, it becomes a very usable way to browse your music library.
Once your music is playing, you can switch the screen off with the button on the top of the iPhone and listen away to your heart's content. Basic interactions can without having to switch the screen back on – volume is controllable with the buttons on the side, and using the bundled earbuds, which are better quality than Apple's older ones, you can pause the music or skip tracks (the earbuds also have a microphone incorporated for use as a hands-free kit).
This is where the gadget picks up another black mark, however, since the recessed headphone socket - which sits about half an inch inside the top of the iPhone - means that it's almost impossible to plug your own cans in. I prefer to listen on the go with a pair of bulky but non-leaky headphones, but they don't fit into the snug space for the jack.
The quality of listening is a familiar experience, and though a portable MP3 player is never likely to capture the full sweep of sound quality, it does make a fair job of the task in hand.
And another word of warning: if you don't have the headphones plugged in, the iPhone plays audio over its built-in speaker. The volume doesn't go dangerously loud, but it's still probably classified as Asbo-worthy.
There's enough capacity for around 2,000 songs, which will be plenty for casual users – those who use existing music phones or lower-capacity iPods - but is likely to disappoint hardcore music fans. I found myself wanting a little more space; and not just for music.
That's because, more than any of Apple's previous media players, you'll probably be tempted to use the iPhone for watching moving images as well as listening to music. As well as the direct link to YouTube content, the iPhone offers you the chance to watch your iTunes video downloads, podcasts and movies or TV shows that you've added.
Flip the handset onto its side and (where available) your films switch from portrait to landscape mode, essentially giving you a bite-sized widescreen. Navigation is quick – three obvious clicks from the home screen – and Image quality is generally good, and you can through the latest Hollywood blockbuster without destroying the battery.
A couple of small additions also make. You can buy music directly over a Wi-Fi connection using the built-in iTunes store. Download speed is the same as you would expect to your computer, and when you next login on your desktop machine, it will add the new music to your iTunes library.
Integration with some of the gadget's other functions, meanwhile, is smooth: tunes fade out for a phone call (rather than stopping abruptly) and fade back in when you hang up. It's just a little touch, but one that's meant to remind you that this is not just a handful of different gadgets thrown willy nilly into one box.
Incorporating the iPod functions inside the handset makes this one of the best music phones on the market, which – given the complexity of using some rivals isn't as hard as it should be. But aside from the touch-based bells and whistles, the iPhone doesn't offer a massive leap forward for the iPod family... making it a great, but not remarkable, media player.
Will O2 woes burst the iPhone's bubble?
Apple has talked up the iPhone as the dawn of a new era in the mobile internet. But does it stand up to the test? Find out in the second part of our extended review.
One of the iPhone's plays is that it's great for browsing the web: Apple has made much of talk of the handset as a "breakthrough internet device".
Having used a number of other Wi-Fi enabled handsets, it's true that the iPhone beats them hands down for simplicity. Finding a wireless network doesn't take an ounce of effort – it's automatic – and once you're logged on to a network, you should never have to do it again. I surfed without any difficulty at home and in the office, as well as in coffee shops, pubs and simply walking down the street.
The trade-off of having to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G (which isn't supported by the iPhone) is made a little easier if you spend a lot of time near a hotspot operated by The Cloud, the wireless provider that has struck a deal with Apple and O2 to offer unlimited access to any iPhone customer. Most of us, however, will use the wireless access in a more limited way.
Still, it's surprisingly good on battery life: even with heavy browsing, listening to music and making calls, the phone managed to come through the test period on just a few charges and without dying once. Here Apple has the chance to benefit from harnessing iPod behaviour such as the nightly docking ritual.
Once you're logged on, you'll want to take a trip around the web. The on-board browser, Safari, renders sites clearly and relatively quickly. Gone are the days of Wap: instead we have something that tries, not entirely successfully, to bridge the gap between desktop web browsing and small screen surfing.
When it works, pages look beautiful: double tap to zoom in (the phone smartly understands CSS and fills your screen with the contents of a column), or use the now-famous pinching technique to pick your spot. You can even flip the phone onto its side to turn the web around for a landscape format - but it can't get away from the fact that sometimes looking at a big web page on this screen can be a disconcerting experience, like turning up to a Victorian circus to see a homunculus of the internet.
Little additions such as very straightforward bookmarking and tabs are the sort of thing you struggle to find on other phones, and you can share links via email with a couple of clicks.
Some of the other web services offered on the phone are also intriguing: Google Maps, for example, could be a clincher for road warriors. Clunkier flavours are available on other devices, but the iPhone variety offers a neat and swift service for maps and directions.
Other web widgets turn out to be more of a mixed bag, however. The YouTube video viewer is OK - if you're into watching outtakes and dodgy TV rips. For example - top of the charts at the time of writing was a one-minute video of a laughing baby. The iTunes Wi-Fi store works perfectly well – and integrates nicely with your desktop computer - but it doesn't yet deliver podcasts to you, which would have been a useful stopgap solution for iPhone radio.
The lack of rabid small investors in the UK, meanwhile, means it's hard to imagine many Brits using the stock market viewer (conveniently pre-loaded to show you Apple's ever-increasing share price). Coupled with the Google Maps logo – which carries an American-style road sign – it feels as if a bit more time thinking about the needs of the locals would have been well spent.
This is the area of embedded applications is where the iPhone has room to stretch its legs, and where hackers have been enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Apple has kept things locked down for the British model: there's still no support for Flash, and everything has to happen through the browser itself. When the iPhone launched initially, it spoke in mealy-mouthed terms about Safari as the interface for applications – that roughly translates as "build web pages if you want to design for the iPhone". And although Apple has announced it will be releasing a development kit for programmers in January, it also feels like double talk.
There are some intriguing possibilities for the future, though. Simply having integrated Wi-Fi offers a number of options itself – such as voice over internet calling, ala Skype, or perhaps internet radio or TV.
For now, however, those outside a Wi-Fi zone – or in parts of Britain where hotspot density is much lower than in the middle of our major cities - are restricted to using O2's network.
That includes the now-infamous Edge standard, a sub-3G speed network that's not heavily used by British customers. O2 is spending lavishly on updating its network to incorporate Edge, which Apple says is the best trade-off between and speed and battery life. In fairness, where Edge is available it does offer faster downloads – never snappy, but sometimes quick enough.
However the breadth of delivery remains too limited, and I found plenty of black spots around the country where getting any sort of O2 signal – let alone an Edge one – was an impossible task.
It's a bitter pill to swallow, but until somebody hacks the latest software update, there's little option.
Having used a number of other Wi-Fi enabled handsets, it's true that the iPhone beats them hands down for simplicity. Finding a wireless network doesn't take an ounce of effort – it's automatic – and once you're logged on to a network, you should never have to do it again. I surfed without any difficulty at home and in the office, as well as in coffee shops, pubs and simply walking down the street.
The trade-off of having to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G (which isn't supported by the iPhone) is made a little easier if you spend a lot of time near a hotspot operated by The Cloud, the wireless provider that has struck a deal with Apple and O2 to offer unlimited access to any iPhone customer. Most of us, however, will use the wireless access in a more limited way.
Still, it's surprisingly good on battery life: even with heavy browsing, listening to music and making calls, the phone managed to come through the test period on just a few charges and without dying once. Here Apple has the chance to benefit from harnessing iPod behaviour such as the nightly docking ritual.
Once you're logged on, you'll want to take a trip around the web. The on-board browser, Safari, renders sites clearly and relatively quickly. Gone are the days of Wap: instead we have something that tries, not entirely successfully, to bridge the gap between desktop web browsing and small screen surfing.
When it works, pages look beautiful: double tap to zoom in (the phone smartly understands CSS and fills your screen with the contents of a column), or use the now-famous pinching technique to pick your spot. You can even flip the phone onto its side to turn the web around for a landscape format - but it can't get away from the fact that sometimes looking at a big web page on this screen can be a disconcerting experience, like turning up to a Victorian circus to see a homunculus of the internet.
Little additions such as very straightforward bookmarking and tabs are the sort of thing you struggle to find on other phones, and you can share links via email with a couple of clicks.
Some of the other web services offered on the phone are also intriguing: Google Maps, for example, could be a clincher for road warriors. Clunkier flavours are available on other devices, but the iPhone variety offers a neat and swift service for maps and directions.
Other web widgets turn out to be more of a mixed bag, however. The YouTube video viewer is OK - if you're into watching outtakes and dodgy TV rips. For example - top of the charts at the time of writing was a one-minute video of a laughing baby. The iTunes Wi-Fi store works perfectly well – and integrates nicely with your desktop computer - but it doesn't yet deliver podcasts to you, which would have been a useful stopgap solution for iPhone radio.
The lack of rabid small investors in the UK, meanwhile, means it's hard to imagine many Brits using the stock market viewer (conveniently pre-loaded to show you Apple's ever-increasing share price). Coupled with the Google Maps logo – which carries an American-style road sign – it feels as if a bit more time thinking about the needs of the locals would have been well spent.
This is the area of embedded applications is where the iPhone has room to stretch its legs, and where hackers have been enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Apple has kept things locked down for the British model: there's still no support for Flash, and everything has to happen through the browser itself. When the iPhone launched initially, it spoke in mealy-mouthed terms about Safari as the interface for applications – that roughly translates as "build web pages if you want to design for the iPhone". And although Apple has announced it will be releasing a development kit for programmers in January, it also feels like double talk.
There are some intriguing possibilities for the future, though. Simply having integrated Wi-Fi offers a number of options itself – such as voice over internet calling, ala Skype, or perhaps internet radio or TV.
For now, however, those outside a Wi-Fi zone – or in parts of Britain where hotspot density is much lower than in the middle of our major cities - are restricted to using O2's network.
That includes the now-infamous Edge standard, a sub-3G speed network that's not heavily used by British customers. O2 is spending lavishly on updating its network to incorporate Edge, which Apple says is the best trade-off between and speed and battery life. In fairness, where Edge is available it does offer faster downloads – never snappy, but sometimes quick enough.
However the breadth of delivery remains too limited, and I found plenty of black spots around the country where getting any sort of O2 signal – let alone an Edge one – was an impossible task.
It's a bitter pill to swallow, but until somebody hacks the latest software update, there's little option.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
iCame, iSaw, iPhoned
We've been waiting for months for the iPhone's arrival on these shores. But has the wait been worthwhile?
Our full review explores the handset that's arriving on November 9 - first up, the exterior and using it as a mobile phone.
There are two sorts of people in the world: those who have played with an iPhone, and those who haven't. It sounds a bit like a bad joke, but – for now, at least – there's a grain of truth in it.
After months of waiting for Apple's flagship to land in the UK, we're finally going to get it this Friday. In the meantime, the hype cycle seems to have gone full circle: first excitement at the US launch, then disappointment with the lack of third-party support, a backlash from some quarters, and finally tentative excitement again.
Most of the comments were thrown out by people who fell into the second group (those who hadn't played with an iPhone) and, thanks to Apple's restrictions on mobile networks, none of them came from people who had actually used a fully-functioning iPhone in Britain. But for the past few weeks, however, the Guardian has been testing a British iPhone – with all the bells and whistles on O2's network. So what's the UK iPhone like?
For a start, it's pretty familiar. A software update delivers a few minor changes – more international language support, some security fixes and so on – but if you've seen or used an American iPhone, then you know exactly what you're getting. Similarly, anyone who's had their hands on an iPod Touch will also have a good idea of what to expect.
For those who have only seen the pictures or been barraged by the advertising, though, it's worth taking a look around.
On the outside, there's little debate that the iPhone looks good. It's a typical minimalist gadget, all polished black and silver. It has just one button on the front, complimented by a volume control and silent mode switch on the side, with a headphone socket and the on/off switch on top.
As a phone it's thin enough, but a little longer than desired. It's been sitting in my pocket for the past two weeks, but hasn't yet really become comfortable to carry.
You can blame any unwieldiness on the screen, which is about the size of a credit card and one of the crucial weapons in Apple's armoury. That's because multitouch technology is the soul of the iPhone, informing everything you do – and because is it so far superior to anything else on the market right now.
Place a digit on the surface and the phone recognises it instantly; stroke a finger sideways and the device responds exactly how you would expect. No fudges or "good enough" answers here: nothing else comes close.
The screen itself is bright and crisp, but far from invulnerable to scratches. Although it's more robust than some of the earlier iPod models, it's certainly not tough enough to be treated with a carefree attitude: this is a gadget that demands protection.
The touch interface draws you in right from the start, with the "slide to unlock" mechanism that starts you using your iPhone.
Steve Jobs calls it three devices in one, and in a sense he's right. Despite the services – phone, internet, iPod – often being interlinked, the different functions of the iPhone feel quite separate, each of them used in a slightly different way.
The phone functions are more or less bog standard: call and text. You can use an on-screen keypad to dial numbers, or access the contacts list and use fast fingered scrolling to zip through your numbers with ease. A couple of other little touches make life more bearable too, such as text messages appearing in chat-like conversation format.
Elsewhere, if you need to look something else up while on the line, an on-screen button allows you to flip straight back to your conversation – no more accidental hang-ups. Conference calling is easy (you can patch incoming calls straight into your existing one) and "visual voicemail" – where you can zip backwards and forwards inside your messages – is an improvement of kind, not just degree.
There are some bizarre omissions that have yet to be fixed – the iPhone has no support for picture messaging, for example, and it still doesn't allow texts to be sent to multiple contacts. The feeling still comes across from time to time that this is a phone built for the American market, or with standards so lofty that it sometimes finds it difficult to remember the basics.
On the subject of SMS, it's worth examining the keyboard – one of the iPhone's most controversial elements. Gone is the old number keypad or the Qwerty buttons, ditched in favour of a touch-sensitive onscreen replacement. This has plenty of doubters, and they're not entirely wrong, but Apple has done a lot of work to try and mitigate.
It's certainly a league ahead of other devices I've used, where the buttons were nigh on impossible to hit for those who aren't trained marksmen. Typing is helped by the intelligent predictive text and intuitive auto-correct function, and you won't have to spend any dreary afternoons training the dictionary.
A few extra additions would have improved life, but remain absent: all punctuation remains on a secondary screen (not even a solitary full stop or comma is close at hand) and the inability to customise the keyboard could prove irritating for those who have peculiar needs.
I doubt hardcore BlackBerry addicts will ever achieve the speeds they can manage with a Qwerty keyboard – after all, a good typist can feel when they've made a mistake just from the position of the keys under their fingers – but after a few days of use I was pretty happy with my abilities.
Our full review explores the handset that's arriving on November 9 - first up, the exterior and using it as a mobile phone.
There are two sorts of people in the world: those who have played with an iPhone, and those who haven't. It sounds a bit like a bad joke, but – for now, at least – there's a grain of truth in it.
After months of waiting for Apple's flagship to land in the UK, we're finally going to get it this Friday. In the meantime, the hype cycle seems to have gone full circle: first excitement at the US launch, then disappointment with the lack of third-party support, a backlash from some quarters, and finally tentative excitement again.
Most of the comments were thrown out by people who fell into the second group (those who hadn't played with an iPhone) and, thanks to Apple's restrictions on mobile networks, none of them came from people who had actually used a fully-functioning iPhone in Britain. But for the past few weeks, however, the Guardian has been testing a British iPhone – with all the bells and whistles on O2's network. So what's the UK iPhone like?
For a start, it's pretty familiar. A software update delivers a few minor changes – more international language support, some security fixes and so on – but if you've seen or used an American iPhone, then you know exactly what you're getting. Similarly, anyone who's had their hands on an iPod Touch will also have a good idea of what to expect.
For those who have only seen the pictures or been barraged by the advertising, though, it's worth taking a look around.
On the outside, there's little debate that the iPhone looks good. It's a typical minimalist gadget, all polished black and silver. It has just one button on the front, complimented by a volume control and silent mode switch on the side, with a headphone socket and the on/off switch on top.
As a phone it's thin enough, but a little longer than desired. It's been sitting in my pocket for the past two weeks, but hasn't yet really become comfortable to carry.
You can blame any unwieldiness on the screen, which is about the size of a credit card and one of the crucial weapons in Apple's armoury. That's because multitouch technology is the soul of the iPhone, informing everything you do – and because is it so far superior to anything else on the market right now.
Place a digit on the surface and the phone recognises it instantly; stroke a finger sideways and the device responds exactly how you would expect. No fudges or "good enough" answers here: nothing else comes close.
The screen itself is bright and crisp, but far from invulnerable to scratches. Although it's more robust than some of the earlier iPod models, it's certainly not tough enough to be treated with a carefree attitude: this is a gadget that demands protection.
The touch interface draws you in right from the start, with the "slide to unlock" mechanism that starts you using your iPhone.
Steve Jobs calls it three devices in one, and in a sense he's right. Despite the services – phone, internet, iPod – often being interlinked, the different functions of the iPhone feel quite separate, each of them used in a slightly different way.
The phone functions are more or less bog standard: call and text. You can use an on-screen keypad to dial numbers, or access the contacts list and use fast fingered scrolling to zip through your numbers with ease. A couple of other little touches make life more bearable too, such as text messages appearing in chat-like conversation format.
Elsewhere, if you need to look something else up while on the line, an on-screen button allows you to flip straight back to your conversation – no more accidental hang-ups. Conference calling is easy (you can patch incoming calls straight into your existing one) and "visual voicemail" – where you can zip backwards and forwards inside your messages – is an improvement of kind, not just degree.
There are some bizarre omissions that have yet to be fixed – the iPhone has no support for picture messaging, for example, and it still doesn't allow texts to be sent to multiple contacts. The feeling still comes across from time to time that this is a phone built for the American market, or with standards so lofty that it sometimes finds it difficult to remember the basics.
On the subject of SMS, it's worth examining the keyboard – one of the iPhone's most controversial elements. Gone is the old number keypad or the Qwerty buttons, ditched in favour of a touch-sensitive onscreen replacement. This has plenty of doubters, and they're not entirely wrong, but Apple has done a lot of work to try and mitigate.
It's certainly a league ahead of other devices I've used, where the buttons were nigh on impossible to hit for those who aren't trained marksmen. Typing is helped by the intelligent predictive text and intuitive auto-correct function, and you won't have to spend any dreary afternoons training the dictionary.
A few extra additions would have improved life, but remain absent: all punctuation remains on a secondary screen (not even a solitary full stop or comma is close at hand) and the inability to customise the keyboard could prove irritating for those who have peculiar needs.
I doubt hardcore BlackBerry addicts will ever achieve the speeds they can manage with a Qwerty keyboard – after all, a good typist can feel when they've made a mistake just from the position of the keys under their fingers – but after a few days of use I was pretty happy with my abilities.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
iPhone Family: 1 389 000 Members and Counting!
Apple announced the financial results for its 2007 last quarter ended September 29, 2007. Boring? Maybe, but besides learning that Apple generated over $24 billion in revenue and $3.5 billion in net income, we learned that the company ended their fiscal year with $15.4 billion in cash and no debt. Not bad for a company that was dying 10 years ago. This cash gives them a lot of room to work on new versions of these toys that we like so much.
Talking about toys, they've sold 10,200,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone sales were 1,119,000, bringing cumulative fiscal 2007 sales to 1,389,000.
What is your bet for fiscal year 2008 (October 2007 – September 2008)? Mine is 50 million iPods and 12 million iPhones.
Talking about toys, they've sold 10,200,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone sales were 1,119,000, bringing cumulative fiscal 2007 sales to 1,389,000.
What is your bet for fiscal year 2008 (October 2007 – September 2008)? Mine is 50 million iPods and 12 million iPhones.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
UK iPhone customers to get fairer usage
But some usage is more fair than others
O2 has decided that iPhone users on its network won't be limited by their "fair usage" policy, and really will get "unlimited" access to the internet. But other customers signed up for "unlimited" contracts will have to wait and see if O2 decides all their usage is fair too.UK punters signing up for an iPhone, exclusively on O2 from Friday, will be able to use the Edge network (where available) without having to worry about hitting the company's "fair use" limit.
We now appreciate that having set limits as part of the fair use policy conflicted with our objective of encouraging internet usage on the iPhone. People don't speak in megabytes and customer feedback has been that if we say unlimited, it should be unlimited.
But while O2 is keen to encourage iPhone users to use the internet, those opting for any other technology are stuck with the 200MB limit O2 imposes on the £7.50 a month flat rate data tariff, unless they want to shell out an extra £22.50 for Web Max, and even then they're limited to 3GB.
When we suggested this was a little unfair on those not seduced by Mr Jobs' toy, O2 told us it was "currently reviewing the fair use policies on our other unlimited data offerings".
The problem for O2 is that the only difference between "O2 Web" and "Web Max" is that fair use limitation. Remove that and anyone paying £30 a month for Web Max is going to look a fool.
It would, presumably, be possible to sign up for the iPhone tariff and then slip your SIM into an N95 or similar to enjoy truly unlimited access, though it's hard to say if that would give you 3G access as the iPhone has no use for such technology.
O2 should be applauded for offering a proper unlimited data tariff, but limiting it to the customers of one device isn't going to make things easier for customers to understand, or any fairer.The iPhone comes with a cost for Rogers
Carrier would have to revise wireless pricing plan if it aims to bring Apple's coveted multimedia device to Canada
The iPhone will hit Europe this week, and at prices that are likely to put pressure on Rogers Communications Inc. to cut its cellphone rates if it wants to be the carrier that eventually brings the popular device to Canada
European carriers will offer service plans that start at the equivalent of $70 a month. A rough calculation based on Rogers' current fees for its existing cellphone services indicates that similar features are more than double the price here, based on the cheapest plan. With some other data plans for Rogers' cellphones, customers could rack up bills of hundreds, or conceivably thousands, of dollars.
The data price gap could set the stage for intense negotiations between Toronto-based Rogers and Apple Inc., which designed and markets the popular multimedia phone. Apple was able to wring substantial changes from carriers in the United States and Europe.
Apple wants to see the iPhone reach millions of consumers, and high rates in Canada could interfere with that goal. Speaking from the point of view of users, Dawood Khan, a partner at wireless management consulting firm Kazam Technologies Inc., said: "You can't be counting in the back of your mind how many megabytes you use."
The iPhone hype is alive and well in Canada. Just yesterday, the Apple store in Toronto's Eaton Centre said it is working on removing some iPhone workshops that its website said were scheduled for November. An employee blamed a server error. Last month, Molson pulled the iPhone from a marketing contest in Quebec after it mistakenly said the device will be available in January.
So far, Rogers has had little to say about pricing. On timing, it says the launch plan is in Apple's hands.
"Apple clearly has a schedule and a plan for their rollout on a worldwide basis," Robert Bruce, president of Rogers' wireless division, said last week.
It could be that Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., is focusing on bigger markets for now.
But wireless carriers in the United States, Britain and Germany had to adjust their packages of services to get the opportunity to sell the coveted iPhone. So the phone's arrival in Canada may not be entirely up to Apple. Rogers may have to make concessions, either by slashing data prices or finally embracing the idea of WiFi for cellphones.
There's a reason carriers are willing to make such adjustments. The iPhone is the most talked-about cellphone in history, creating instant buzz around a carrier's brand. Time magazine just crowned the iPhone the year's best invention.
New York-based AT&T Inc., which launched the iPhone in the United States on June 29, recently posted its biggest gain to date in third-quarter wireless subscriber additions. So far, 1.39 million iPhones have been sold south of the border.
Britain's O2 Ltd. and Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile in Germany are next up, slated to introduce the iPhone on Nov. 9.
But to secure the iPhone, carriers have had to do things a bit differently, including ceding some power to Apple.
According to news reports earlier this year, New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. passed on the iPhone because Apple wanted to restrict the places where it would be distributed and also asked for a cut of service fees.
Carriers are used to bossing around the device makers, telling them what features to add. Apple changed that relationship, deciding for itself how to design the cellphone/Internet device/music player.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel figures his company worked with Apple for 2½ years before the iPhone finally arrived on its shelves. He wouldn't give details about those talks.
With companies that introduce the iPhone, the biggest change is the way services are bundled. At AT&T and O2, voice minutes and data services are packaged together for one flat price, instead of forcing users to cobble together different plans. T-Mobile combines a plan with cellular data and WiFi hot spots for the first time. And the rates for these plans are very appealing.
The new iPhone plans are "very clear, very straight," said Alexander von Schmettow, a spokesman for T-Mobile. If they are a success, he believes they could provide a "hint" of what its other wireless plans will look like in the future.
With the iPhone, Rogers would also have to warm up to the idea of letting people access WiFi hot spots on their cellphones.
Rogers now offers a few business-targeted devices that allow people to use both cellular and WiFi networks, but other high-profile WiFi cellphones from the Nokia and BlackBerry brands are missing from its product lineup. WiFi, with its flat fee for Internet use, could cannibalize more lucrative data revenue from Rogers' cellular network.
Shutting off the WiFi function on the iPhone, however, doesn't appear to be an option. Rogers many decide to follow AT&T's example and charge an extra rate for WiFi access on the iPhone, instead of including in the package like O2 and T-Mobile, Mr. Khan said.
Head to head
A comparison of iPhone monthly plans with Rogers' prices*
AT&T $59.99 (U.S.)
450 any time minutes and 5,000 night and weekend minutes
long distance in the U.S.
unlimited e-mail and Web
200 text messages
voice mail
Rogers: $161
500 minutes for $50
unlimited evening and weekend $15
long distance in Canada $6
500 MB data for $80
25 text messages and voice mail package $10
T-Mobile (Germany) €49 ($66)
100 any time minutes
unlimited incoming minutes
unlimited data
unlimited WiFi
voice mail
40 text messages
Rogers: $133
Mega plan with 100 any time minutes and 1,000 evening and weekend minutes $20
500 MB data for $80
voice mail $6
30 text messages for $3
WiFi $24
02 (Britain): £35 ($68)
200 any time minutes
unlimited incoming minutes
unlimited data
unlimited WiFi
200 text messages
voice mail
Rogers: $144
Mega 200 minutes and unlimited evening and weekend minutes $30
WiFi $24
500 MB data for $80
voice mail, 125 text messages package $10
*Rogers data prices based on fees for Window mobile plans. Data rates for other Rogers' cellphones are $10 for the first 10,240 kilobytes and then 3 cents for each additional kilobyte. So 200 megabytes (MB), equal to 204,800 kilobytes, could cost $5,837.
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