Google-owned AdMob has revealed that the Apple iPhone is far and away the biggest player in the world's mobile internet market, if October's online activity is considered.

AdMob has released its statistics for October that look at how many "requests" each of the major mobile phone operating systems made. Apple's iPhone, with full fat Safari browsers and data bundles in many countries, dominates in the smartphone market.

During October, in terms of global smartphone traffic, the iPhone weighs in at 50%. In the States, the figure rises to 55% (with HTC second at 22%), while here in the UK the iPhone commands a whopping 74% of all smartphone traffic.

In the UK, the next biggest player is Nokia, at 10%, lagging an astonishing 64% behind the market leader. HTC, also at 10% follows with Android nabbing the same percentile as far as OSes go.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry AdMob Statistics iPhone Online Apple Nokia Biz

iPhone accounts for three quarters of mobile internet use in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:55:22 +0000

You're looking at the world's most expensive mobile phone, the iPhone 3GS "Supreme" as created by Goldstriker's Stuart Hughes.

Commissioned by an anonymous Australian gold mining magnate, the handset was priced at ?1.92 million and was 10 months in the making.

For just shy of the ?2 million mark, the businessman got 271 grams of 22ct solid gold, 136 colour F, flawless diamonds amounting to around 68 carats' worth, while the front navigation button features one single cut very rare diamond measuring in at 7.1 carats.

Tags: Phones iPhone Goldstriker

iPhone 3GS Supreme priced at £1.92 million originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:33:39 +0000

4iThumbs appears to be designed for iPhone users that can't get on with the touchscreen, but don't want to give up their precious.

It's a clear, tactile typing aid for the iPhone's screen that "facilitates faster and more accurate typing, enables blind typing, reduces glare and is the strongest screen protector on the market".

The tactile ridges are said to "guide thumbs for accurate input to ease the transition from other smartphones to the iPhone", so a little like stabilisers, we guess.

4iThumbs is priced at $14.95 for the portrait version, $16.95 for the landscape version and $19.95 for both. Hit the video above for a "spoof" ad.

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Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone accessories 4iThumbs Video

VIDEO: 4iThumbs tactile keyboard for iPhone launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:46:41 +0000

Here in the UK supermarket behemoth Tesco has announced it is to offer the Apple iPhone in time for Christmas - a real sign of how mass market the handset is to become.

Going back 2 years, at launch the iPhone was only available on one network - O2 - and through O2, Apple or Carphone Warehouse stores, but fast forward to the present and the mobile is set to be available on three operators, and through a growing network of retailers, including now, Britain's biggest supermarket.

Tesco will offer the phone on its O2-powered Tesco Mobile network, according to a statement from the retailing giant: "Tesco Mobile through its joint venture partnership with O2 is pleased to announce that it will shortly introduce iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct in the UK".

Those hoping for Tesco pricing on the handset will almost certainly be disappointed, O2 and Orange - the two operators that offer the mobile now - have kept contract and handset prices high and with very little difference between them.

So will the ever-increasing availability of the iPhone see some of its shine rub off? Will Tesco offering the device lose the iPhone some kudos? Have your say in the comments box below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Tesco iPhone O2

Tesco to offer the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:38:49 +0000

Fring, the combined messaging service for mobile phone platforms from the iPhone to Android, has launched a new version of its software that allows users to make video calls from their phone.

Fring users can now make and receive internet video calls from mobile devices (for free), picking up their fring and Skype video calls from the road, and seeing the person they’re talking to from their mobile phone.

Fring video is currently only available on?Nokia?touch devices such as the?Nokia X6, N97mini, N97, 5800, N95, N95 8G and N82, however is promised for the iPhone, and Android handsets. Strange considering the iPhone doesn't sport a forward facing camera, and nor does any of the mainstream Android handsets like the HTC Hero or G1.

Currently the software, which is available for most mobile platforms, only allows you to text chat and talk with other contacts.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Fring Skype Symbian Nokia iPhone

Skype video calling comes to Nokia phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:05 +0000

So far Apple has stayed out of the advertising spat between iPhone operator AT&T and rival network Verizon, but Apple's latest ads for its mobile makes a feature of the network in runs on - which can't be a coincidence considering the bashing Verizon has doled out of late, even sending the iPhone to the island of misfit toys.

While AT&T hit back with Luke Wilson, Apple has stepped in with two new iPhone ads that follow the format of previous versions, but ask "can your phone and your network do that?" after voice-over man demos the ability of the iPhone to handle data while on a voice call, the first time AT&T's service has been highlighted in Apple's campaign.

Hit play on the video above to see one of the new ads - which just aired on prime-time American television - and we'll keep you posted with more as we hear it.

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Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Verizon AT and T Advertising Video

VIDEO: New iPhone ads highlight AT&T's network after Verizon attacks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:53:22 +0000

While what was said to be the first iPhone worm merely annoyed jail-broken iPhoners by installing Rick Astley wallpaper, a second is said to be "clearly malicious".

Security company F-Secure has discovered the worm that's specifically targeting those in the Netherlands using online bank ING, reports the BBC.

The malware - that again just affects SSH-enabled, jail-broken modified iPhones - redirects ING customers to a lookalike site with a log-in screen.

As well as the immediate financial implications, the worm could see such handsets accessed and controlled remotely.

"It's the second iPhone worm ever and the first that's clearly malicious - there's a clear financial motive behind it", F-Secure research director Mikko Hypponen told the BBC.

"It's fairly isolated and specific to Netherlands but it is capable of spreading".

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Tags: Phones iPhone Viruses And Malware ING F-Secure

Second iPhone worm targets ING customers, "clearly malicious" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:13:45 +0000

Google has announced the launch of a "completely new" mobile Google News offering for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre users.

This follows the availability of a mobile-optimised version of Google News for other phones, such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and S60, with the online giant promising "more improvements" for those versions in the near future.

The new iPhone/Android/Pre version claims to offer "the same richness and personalisation on your phone as Google News provides on desktop".

The new homepage displays more stories, sources, and images while there's access to see favourite sections, find articles and play videos "in fewer clicks".

Google News for mobile is now available in 29 languages and 70 editions and can be found at http://news.google.com on your mobile phone's browser.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Google Google News iPhone Android Palm Pre Pre

Google News gets updated for iPhone, Android and Pre originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:13:53 +0000

The?TomTom for iPhone app has received an update on Wednesday bringing with it a number of promised features and a couple of new ones too.

New to the mix is compatibility for the original iPhone and iPod touch (all models), meaning that owners of the iPod touch, with the help of the TomTom Car Kit can get in on the?TomTom for iPhone GPS?action too.

Aside from that, features are as expected so that means advanced lane guidance for difficult junctions in both landscape and portrait mode, and text-to-speech functionality that will see street names and places read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.

In addition, TomTom's "Help Me" emergency feature from its in-car satnavs will be ported to the mobile platform, there'll be options to customise audio warnings, while maps and safety camera databases will see an update.

Finally the app will catch up with other offerings like CoPilot on the market by adding iPod player control "ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application".

The update is free to all those who have already downloaded the application.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps TomTom iPhone apps iPhone GPS Car And GPS TomTom for iPhone

TomTom for iPhone updated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:21:38 +0000

A startup called RidRx has created an adaptor that'll allow you to mod an old stethoscope into a fully-functioning iPhone or iPod touch-enabled version of the heartbeat detector. It comes with a phone dock/holder and an app that will record and analyse the audio you capture.

It's called the iStethoscope Pro, and can't be sold for anything other than recreational use thanks to the US regulators. However, it could prove useful - if only for kids who want to prove an irregular heartbeat to their PE teachers so they're able to get out of rugby practice on a cold November morning.

The adaptor kit costs $30, but you'll need to provide your own stethoscope - which will likely set you back the best part of $100 too, unless you know a friendly Doctor. The app itself costs 99 cents and is available now on the iPhone App Store.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Mobile phone apps iPhone Medical Health Sports Fitness Video

VIDEO: iPhone gets stethoscope adaptor originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:02:28 +0000

The countdown to?CES 2010, the biggest electronics trade show on the planet, has begun, but what can we expect from the show, and what should we start to get excited about? Here are six areas that are going to dominate the news come January.

Don't forget, Pocket-lint will be bringing you all the news, reviews, comment, photos and video as it happens in the run up to CES and live from Las Vegas for the duration of the show.

You can bookmark our CES coverage at pocket-lint.com/CES2010

Digital Living

Technology has gone mainstream supposedly, so that means the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center will be filled with technology launches that embrace all of us rather than just a select few. In real terms that means everything from gadgets for kids, gadgets for mums and dads that look after kids, and gadgets for the silver surfer. Expect new toys for health, parenting and higher education.

Apple

Don't get too excited,?Apple isn't attending CES, regardless of how many rumours you hear, but that doesn't mean companies that work in the Apple eco-system aren't going to be in Vegas launching new gadgets. With a whole area dedicated to the iPod,?iPhone?and Macs, expect a fair share of iPod speakers, cables to connect to something else in your life and the usual array of cases to protect it all.

eBook readers

If you're planning on getting an ebook reader for Christmas you might want to think again. The ebook market has exploded in the US with Amazon,?Barnes & Noble?and?Sony?all fighting over each other to offer you the digital reader you supposedly need. Plastic Logic has already confirmed that it will be launching a new ebook at CES and there is bound to be other manufacturers like?Spring Design?and iRex offering new models.

3D

Riding on the wave of euphoria that Avatar will no doubt give the industry, consumer electronics manufacturers like?Sony, Toshiba, LG?and?Samsung?will be likely to be pushing?3D TV?hard at CES 2010. IFA 2009 already showed us the concepts, CES will show us the reality. Expect new televisions, announcements from the Blu-ray Disc Association, television makers, graphics card companies like Nvidia and movie companies all trying to get in on the action.

Netbooks

While most people have surely moved on from the popularity of netbooks, CES organisers CEA believe netbooks are going to still be big news at CES 2010. What that means is a barrage of computers that don't do much but let you surf the Web and write the odd document. Of course manufacturers will be trying to tell us otherwise with improved graphics courtesy of Nvidia and ATI. You should also probably expect a barrage of tablet devices with touchscreens allowing you to surf the Web around the home.

Green

With the economy making a comeback, manufacturers can once again turn their eyes to saving the planet. Although the idea of being green for green's sake is still very niche, generally manufacturers will be trying to tell you to ignore the thousands they are spending on lighting their booths and the sheer carbon emissions the show creates, by concentrating instead on how they've made advancements in the glass they use or the boxes your favourite gadgets go into. At least you can sleep at night knowing that we haven't had to chop down any trees to let you read this.

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness CES2010 ebooks Televisions Netbooks Sony LG Samsung Toshiba Apple iPod iPhone 3DTV Laptops Eco Amazon Barnes and Noble Spring Design

CES 2010: What new gadgets will be announced? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

iPhone owning Star Wars fans hoping to relive the final battle scene of Star Wars, where you get a chance to take down the Death Star as if you were shooting Womp rats on Tatooine, can now do so following the launch of a new game for the iPhone.

Star Wars: Trench Run puts you in the cockpit of a Rebel X-Wing as you take on the Galactic Empire and is controlled by moving your iPhone forwards and backwards and side to side (thanks to the accelerometer).

The games developers, THQ, have said that the game adds special graphical features for the iPod touch second-generation, iPhone 3GS and other future devices meaning users will get a better graphics experience where possible.

The game is available to download from the App Store and costs $4.99 in the US and ?2.99 in the UK.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone iPhone apps Star Wars Star Wars Trench War

Star Wars: Trench Run for iPhone lets you bring down the Death Star originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:07:10 +0000

It's not the first time that Clarkson & Co. have whipped out their iPhones, but last night the Top Gear team used the Apple handset twice over in their feature on the grand tourer super cars.

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Bluetooth

The first tech trial for the three TV motor journos was to pair their mobiles with their in-car stereos. Mercifully, the iPhone plugged that particular spec gap nearly 2 years ago now but, sadly, Richard Hammond's Ferrari voice activation seemed to have a mind of its own - just in case that's the kind of thing that might put you off buying a Ferrari California. While you're at it, you might want to check that the pattern of the tyre treads is pretty enough for you too.

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Satnavs

The next tech test for the cars was with their in-built satnav's. Both the Ferrari's system and the Aston Martin's seemed to work just fine despite Clarkson's initial concern with the Volvo model featured in the latter of the two vehicles. However, there were some issues with the Audi-built unit in James May's Lamborghini which didn't seem to recognise the existence of Romania whatsoever. Another thing to look out for if you're in that small subset of people who both own one of these luxury vehicles and also happens to be holidaying in Bucharest too.

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Decibel iPhone app

The star of the show though, and the one you'll only need 59p/99c to road test, is the sound measuring app called, simply enough, Decibel. Currently in version 1.2, the 0.2MB app measures noise levels through the iPhone microphone and displays the readings both as a digital counter and an analogue needle. The three separate figures show the current decibel count, the maximum reading since recording began and the peak which is more of a current indicator of the maximum.

It is available for both the iPod touch and the iPhone, but beware that the touch has no built-in microphone, so you'll need a headset of some sort to get a reading with it. Another thing to look out for is that the iPhone mic clips at 100-105 decibels, meaning you're not going to be able to measure any sounds above a loud shout, so you can forget about trying it out at gigs.

That said, one use apart from measuring the sound of a super car's engine in an ex-Romanian dictator's secret network of underground road tunnels, might be if you happen to be complaining to your local council or constabulary about some noisy neighbours. They'll often ask for a measurement and it'll save the tedium of them having to send round a team to record it, by which time next door's banging might well have stopped. Perhaps not the cheeriest of uses but a use nonetheless.

Since its release, Decibel has been one of the top paid apps across Europe and doubtless Tomas Matuschek, the Swedish software architect behind the product, will be rather happy to note a slightly bigger cheque from Apple this month. If you want to give it a go on your iPhone, then you can find Decibel, as featured on Top Gear, here.

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Related links:

• News - Pay-per-view iPlayer to launch in the States
• News - Top Gear going high def from November
• News - Play.com offers 8GB Memory Stig

Tags: Software Top Gear iPhone 3GS iPhone Decibel iPhone apps Features

TV Tech: Top Gear iPhone app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:32:13 +0000

An iPhone application that costs ?600 is proving surprisingly popular, according to its makers. The iVIP Black application offers more than the "I Am Rich" app (which was withdrawn from the App Store by Apple) - it gives access to an "exclusive network".

That network includes privileges and benefits across a range of luxury partners including private islands, a concierge, supercar club, private jets, theatres, members’ clubs, butlers, and various other options. It's not just there to display on your homescreen to display how wealthy you are, though of course it does that too.

Users who download the app are required to fill out a "High Net Worth Individual certification", so only "millionaires" are permitted to use it. However, the price does include a consultation where your personal copy of iVIP is customised to suit your needs. "There is no privilege, experience or desire that cannot be incorporated", says the company.

If you don't want to splash out six hundred squid, there's the option of iVIP Blue for ?280, which doesn't give you the consultation, but does offer the same access to the services listed above. And if you don't want to spend anywhere near that amount, then there'll soon be iVIP Red - a preview app that has full functionality but no access to the iVIP network.

Ridiculous, or a way of differentiating yourself from the masses? Tell us what you think in the comments box below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone apps iPhone iVIP

600-quid iPhone app selling well, claims maker originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:04:04 +0000

Japan's Mobile Art Lab has come up with a charming new way to use the iPhone. The clever designers have created a book-shaped frame for the handset in which the iPhone slots, turning it into an interactive story book for children. Hit play now on the demo video above to see the charming concept in action.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Dad Books iPhone Video

VIDEO: iPhone becomes interactive children's book originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:14:11 +0000

A system that can be fitted to your car allowing you to unlock it and even start it from anywhere around the world is to be launched in the UK, Pocket-lint has learnt.

Viper Smart Start, already available in the US, can be retro-fitted to any car and allows you to lock and unlock your car, open the boot, find it by setting off the alarm and even start it all from an iPhone/iPod touch app.

"We plan to bring the system to the UK in early 2010", a spokesman for the company told us at the CES Unveiled event in New York.

The system, which currently costs around $500 in the UK with a service fee of $29.99 a year after the first year, works by installing a box of tricks that is connected to a GSM phone in your car.

Supposedly popular with Americans, the system is designed for those who want to shed bulky key fobs from their pocket as well as those who want their vehicle warmed up in cold weather or cooled down in hot weather, before they get in to drive it.

"This may seem like a luxury but in extreme climates it is virtually a necessity as well as a safety factor", claims the company.

Those worried about starting their car from the other side of the world shouldn't be. You'll still need the key to drive away.

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Tags: Car And GPS Phones iPhone Viper Mobile phone apps

Viper Smart Start iPhone car remote coming to UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:23:35 +0000

Since the iPhone, where to get it and what tariff to choose seems to be the hot topic of the moment, we thought we'd guide any would-be contract signers to a deal that Quidco is running.

The cashback website Quidco has teamed up with Mobiles.co.uk to offer a discounted rate on all iPhone handsets, meaning that all Quidco members will get a ?60 cashback when arranging an 18- or 24-month contract with either Orange or O2.

In order to give you a run down of the exact tariffs from each operator, Pocket-lint has collated all the info in our feature - Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange. You'll then be in a good position to pop over and join Quidco before heading over to Mobiles.co.uk.

Tags: Phones iPhone Tariffs Orange O2 Quidco Mobilescouk Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: £60 cashback on iPhone contracts with O2 or Orange originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

It seems Orange's first day of iPhone sales in the UK has gone well with the company revealing, via a tweet, it's seen sales hitting the 30,000 mark.

"Orange UK had sold more than 30k iPhones, smashing what we believe is the previously published first day sales records for a phone in the UK!", Orange marketing manager Conor Maples stated via Twitter.

When O2 originally launched the iPhone back in November 2007 it said it saw "tens of thousands" of people snap up the device over the initial sales weekend.

Orange's new film-themed iPhone app is seeing similar success, according to another Conor tweet:

"Our Orange Wednesdays app has gone to the top slot in the Entertainment Category, & hit 2nd place in the free apps chart on Apple App Store".

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Tags: Phones iPhone Orange Apple Statistics Biz

Orange reveals 30,000 iPhones sold on first day originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:09:53 +0000

It seems Vodafone is not the only operator to get its claws out in a timely manner as Orange becomes the second operator to offer the iPhone in the UK, as 3 has revealed - on the day of the Orange iPhone launch - it has put in a formal complaint to the ASA about Orange's new advertising campaign.

While Orange and O2's price plans for the iPhone are very similar, it seems Orange is hoping to appeal to consumers on the strength of its 3G network with a new ?4 million "You're Covered" advertising campaign.

However, 3 is taking issue with Orange's claim that its 3G network "currently covers over 93% of the UK population - more than any other network", and has asked Ofcom to put measures in place for a more consistent way to of calculating coverage.

"We're confident that we have the biggest 3G network in the UK, both in terms of geographic and population coverage, built on a 9192 site network that grows by around 150 sites each week", says 3.

"But it's no surprise consumers are being confused about coverage. Right now each operator chooses a population coverage measurement that suits it. We currently claim 92% coverage. We could use a measure used elsewhere in the industry that would boost our claimed population coverage to 95% in an instant, without reaching a single extra customer".

"We're happy to open up our network to a third-party to judge. We"d like to see a common standard applied across the industry, to give consumers a more realistic picture of 3G coverage available to UK consumers on all networks".

Tags: Phones Mobile phones 3 Orange iPhone Mobile phone industry Advertising Ofcom ASA 3G

3 calls foul over Orange 3G coverage claims on iPhone launch day originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:20:35 +0000

As Orange starts to offer the iPhone in the UK, Vodafone has sent out an email to all those who pre-registered interest in the device about its launch of the Apple mobile.

The promotional mailer claims that Vodafone is the fastest network for iPhone to download video on, with the following boast:

"We've been out and about testing our network across the UK. Whilst our guys were watching the latest YouTube clips on the iPhone they found that Vodafone delivered the fastest download time for a 10 minute video".

No stats are provided to back the claim up.

Meanwhile, under the heading "get ready for your big day", Vodafone is offering five "top tips" for "getting ready" for the iPhone launch on Vodafone, which includes the likes of setting up an iTunes account.

Vodafone is due to offer the iPhone in early 2010 - we'll keep you posted with more news.

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Related links:

• News - 3 calls foul over Orange 3G coverage claims on iPhone launch day

Tags: Phones iPhone Vodafone Orange Apple

Vodafone boasts fastest iPhone downloads on Orange's launch day originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:58:08 +0000

Sky Mobile TV has launched on the App Store for the iPhone. The dedicated app for the service specifically for iPhone and iPod touch lets users stream live TV via Wi-Fi.

The channels available include all Sky Sports channels, Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN and At The Races.

This means that sports fans can watch all live televised Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League and Coca Cola Football League games, as well as live coverage of international and domestic cricket, PGA European Tour Golf, Guinness Premiership Rugby and other sports as well as breaking news from Sky News.

The app lets users browse the Sky Mobile TV EPG to see what's on over the next 24 hours for free, while to watch the live TV, customers need to subscribe to the Sky Mobile TV service for ?6 a month and register for a Sky customer ID.

The Sky Mobile TV App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

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Related links:

• News - Sky News launches iPhone app

Tags: Phones iPhone apps iPhone Sky Sky News Mobile TV

Sky Mobile TV launches for the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:47:56 +0000

2 years and a day after the first iPhone went on sale in the UK through O2, another operator is now officially offering Apple's mobile to UK consumers.

From today, the iPhone can now be bought on a pay as you go basis, or subsidised on a monthly contract through Orange.

Rather than undercutting its competition, the tariffs Orange is offering are similar to O2's, although Orange's 750MB "unlimited" data has raised eyebrows.

So will Orange's boasts of the best 3G coverage across the UK be enough to persuade people to go Orange?

The Carphone Warehouse says it expects to sell one million iPhone handsets in total by Christmas with the arrival of the iPhone 3G and 3GS on Orange and has created the "Orange Apples" display, pictured here, to mark the launch.

Will Orange unveil sales stats? (update - yes) Will O2 fight back with more than just a broadband deal? We will keep you posted...

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Related links:

• VIDEO - Orange Wednesdays iPhone app announced
• News - 3 calls foul over Orange 3G coverage claims on iPhone launch day
• News - Vodafone boasts fastest iPhone downloads on Orange's launch day

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Orange Tariffs

Orange iPhone available in the UK now originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:33:47 +0000

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has officially launched around the globe. But how, as a fan, do you show your love for the latest First Person Shooter? You get your favourite gadget laser engraved of course.

Gamers keen to help celebrate the New York launch in Union Square were treated to a free engraving service from Coveroo on any device they wanted (or more to the point had on hand).

Gamers could opt for seven designs, including logos for GameStop, Xbox 360, and Activision, although not PS3, even though the game is available on the Sony console.

Daryl, a gamer at the party, opted for a soldier on the back of his iPhone, while two other gamers we talked to opted to get their T-Mobile G1 and HTC My Touch 3G engraved losing the "with Google" logo at the same time.

Now that's dedication.

A quick straw poll of who was getting what engraved suggested iPhone users where keen to mark there Apple handsets.?

The game launches in both the UK and the US on 11 November?and is tipped to be the biggest selling title of the year.

So what gadget would you get engraved??

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Tags: Phones Gaming Apple iPhone T-Mobile mytouch 3G Activion Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 engraves its success on iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:48:02 +0000

RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry handsets, is hoping to appeal to gamers in the future with an announcement that it will be supporting the OpenGL ES technology in its handsets.

The news, which was announced at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, means that games developers will be able to bring the latest 3D mobile games they've been making for the iPhone to the BlackBerry platform.

"With OpenGL ES support, Java developers will have the ability to build 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 and higher", RIM said in a statement.

EA?Mobile, has already started developing games for the platform, which is expected to be enabled on the new?BlackBerry Storm 2?first.

However more interesting to non-gamers, the average BlackBerry user, is that it should open up other applications like Google's newly announced Google Maps Navigation. At the recent Droid launch event in NYC, Google told Pocket-lint that it could be possible to port the GPS app to the iPhone because of the OpenGL support.

This announcement would mean that Google could add BlackBerry to that same list.

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Tags: Phones Gaming RIM BlackBerry iPhone EA Mobile phone games BlackBerry Storm 2 Google Google Maps Navigation

3D gaming coming to a BlackBerry near you originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:48:01 +0000

An annoucement from O2 suggests the operator is going to attempt to fight the competition, as well as rivals, for iPhone customers by adding value through bundle packages, rather than any price cuts.

O2 has launched the "Total Connectivity" plan for iPhone customers that sees new and existing iPhone customers buying the iPhone Internet Tethering bolt-on and getting the standard O2 home broadband package completely free.
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Pay monthly iPhone customers who shell out for the ?9.79 per month 3GB Internet Tethering Bolt On before 31 December 2009 will be entitled to the O2 Home Broadband standard package for free, presumably on a month for month basis.

Alternatively, customers can claim a ?7.34 per month discount against any other O2 Home Broadband product including Premium, Pro or O2 Home Broadband Access.

The deal goes live from 10 November at which point we'd imagine there'll be more info (including the small print) over at o2.co.uk/iPhone.

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Tags: Phones iPhone O2 Apple Software Broadband Tariffs

O2 bundles home broadband with iPhone tethering bolt on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:45:34 +0000

O2 has confirmed it will be allowing customers to unlock their iPhones to work on different networks after they have served their full contract term.

On the 2-year anniversary of the iPhone going on sale in the UK, O2 has confirmed the news to Pocket-lint and says that iPhone customers wishing to leave O2 have to call customer services and ask them to unlock their iPhone.

Pay monthly customers who are not at the end of their contract will be required to honour it or pay up until its end.

iPhone Pay & Go customers who have had their iPhone for more than 12 months are entitled to unlock their devices too, but for a fee of ?14.97.

The news was initially revealed by none other than Matthew Key, the chairman and chief executive officer of O2 parent company, Telefonica Europe in a Q&A article in The Times.

In answer to the question: "Is there any truth in the rumour that after Orange and Vodafone are able to sell the iPhone you will not allow people to unlock their iPhone, even if they are out of their contract period?" Key states:

"There is absolutely no truth in that rumour. Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator - though naturally we hope they won't want to!"

Nb. This post has been amended to correct the error that stated pay monthly customers would also have to pay the ?14.97.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones O2 Apple iPhone

O2 to let customers unlock iPhones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:18 +0000

That Apple will launch an iPhone nano, a smaller possibly less-featured version of its popular iPhone is a rumour that has not gone away, but new reports from sources in the Taiwan handset supply chain have recently reignited talk of such a device.

In a nutshell, it seems Apple is busy prepping a 2.8-inch (compared to the current 3.5-inch) version of the iPhone that will boast a new Qualcomm chip that will mean it will work globally on both UMTS 3G and CDMA mobile phone networks.

Said to be due to Verizon in Q3 of 2010, despite the operator's continued iPhone bashing, the iPhone nano is said to be planned for worldwide distribution too - a single handset to all carriers, regardless of the tech of their network.

AppleInsider's source, OTR Global, says that Asustek subsidiary Pegatron will build the new hybrid phone devices for Apple rather than Hon Hai, the iPhone's current manufacturer and that "Verizon and Apple have already hammered out an agreement to sell the new iPhone model within the year".

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Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Rumours Verizon Qualcomm iPhone nano

Apple to launch worldmode 2.8-inch iPhone nano originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:13:03 +0000

It seems like viruses for the iPhone are on the increase, following the discovery of a security hole by a Dutch hacker. A worm has popped up that appears to be infecting jailbroken handsets in Australia.

The Ikee worm doesn't do anything terribly malicious - it changes the handset's wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley and then attempts to find more handsets to infect. However, it could easily be modified to steal contact info or log keypresses, which would be of considerably more concern.

As previously reported on Pocket-lint, the hole only affects jailbroken iPhones that are running an SSH utility and haven't had the default password - "alpine" - changed. Usefully, this virus will disable the SSH application from running, preventing the handset from being infected any further.

Apple hasn't yet commented, but as this issue only affects jailbroken handsets, it's unlikely we'll be hearing much from the big fruit on this one. In the meantime, if you're running an unlocked iPhone, go change your password. Here's how to do it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Viruses And Malware

iPhone gets Rick Astley virus originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:22:35 +0000

Despite a motion currently registered with the US courts that Verizon should stop "misleading" US consumers about AT&T's coverage, Verizon has released another advert slamming its rival's 3G network.

Relegating the iPhone to the "island of misfit toys" thanks to the patchiness of AT&T's coverage, Verizon remains on the offensive with its Christmas advertising campaign.

Hit play in the bix above to see the full advert and we'll bring you more as we have it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Verizon AT and T iPhone Video Advertising Apple

VIDEO: Verizon stays on the offensive with new anti-iPhone ad originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:20:06 +0000

Sonos has released an update to its iPhone and iPod touch app, bringing it in line with the new?Sonos Software 3.1?update released recently for the music systems dedicated controller and computer software.?

The new update, which is now available in the Apple App Store, allows?Sonos owners?to tweet what they are listening to, as well as tweaking the menu system with new icons and logos for the relevant music service.

It also brings in support for the company's new?Sonos S5 ZonePlayer, which includes a built-in speaker. Handy, as the iPhone and the iPod touch app is the main way the company hopes to entice new users in to the streaming music system.

The Sonos controller iPhone app is available across the globe.

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Tags: Audio Sonos Phones Mobile phone apps Apple iPhone iPod

Sonos Controller iPhone/iPod app gets Twitter update originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:08:22 +0000

Apple is rumoured to be testing some prototypes of a next-generation iPhone that includes an RFID reader built in. According to Einar Rosenberg, who runs LinkedIn's Near Field Communications group, "the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone".

We're a little skeptical. Not that Apple is testing RFID in iPhones, after all - it's patented the idea, but that it'll be showing up in the next iPhone in June 2010. On the one hand, near-field communications is a growing industry, but on the other hand there's relatively few places you can use it right now (outside of the Oyster Card system on the London tube network).

Rosenberg posits that it could be used to link iPhones to Macs for syncing purposes, which is possible. We think it's more likely, though, that this is an extension of Apple's new iPod-touch based purchasing systems for Apple store staffers, and could make its way into a more enterprise-targeted product.

What do you reckon? Tell us in the comments.

Note: The embedded video above is from the Touch Project's iPhone RFID Demonstration - it's not an Apple video.

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Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Mobile phones RFID Concepts Rumours Video

VIDEO: Apple prototyping RFID iPhones? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:01:36 +0000

The furore over the Orange terms and conditions for the iPhone may be dying down now that the mobile operator has said it'll happily turn a blind eye to customers using streaming services like Spotify and YouTube, but there still remains the issue over this 750MB per month data limit. This is what Orange has described as "unlimited" mobile internet access and we've got no particular issue with the company stretching the definitions of the word, any more than we have with all the others that do it. The real question is though, just what will 750MB get you?

Fortunately, Orange has a mobile broadband data calculator on its own site, so we had a play to find out how far our notional budget will stretch. As it turns out, not very far.

Attempt 1 - The Power User

?

Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

2 hours/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

30 minutes/day

Total

5.01GB

Verdict

Bust

First of all, we tried a few stats of the kind we would expect most gadget fiends and Pocket-lint regulars would stick to. A couple of hours of browsing a day while on the way to work or using up a little dead time, plus just one song download and lets say a half hour episode of your favourite TV show and, unfortunately, we're already well off the scale. Time to calm it down a bit.

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Attempt 2 - The Heavy User

?

Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

30 minutes/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

10 minutes/day

Total

2GB

Verdict

Bust

This time just a few emails with attachments, only 30 minutes on IM, half the browsing we were doing before, the same one song a day and just a couple of 5 minute YouTube clips every 24 hours and we're already three times over the limit. Back to the drawing board.

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Attempt 3 - Medium Use

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Emails

15/day

Attachments

3/day

IM

15 minutes/day

Browsing

30 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

817MB

Verdict

Bust

This time we only just went over. Let's cut the IM down to a minimum. We can use phone calls, email and text for that kind of thing. Again, just half an hour of browsing now, just the one YouTube clip and only one download per week seems to be about what Orange is telling us we should be using. It's not a lot and maybe that video streaming could be substituted for a little more music streaming but you're still living on the data edge somewhat.

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Attempt 4 - Light User

?

Emails

10/day

Attachments

1/day

IM

5 minutes/day

Browsing

10 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

632MB

Verdict

Inside

To take it down to its bare essentials with only 10 minutes of browsing per day and we find ourselves comfortably inside, but that doesn't exactly look like the kind of freedom we'd expected on an unlimited package no matter how "unlimited" it is.

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Attempt 5 - The Streamer

?

Emails

0

Attachments

0

IM

0

Browsing

0

Music

0

Video streaming

5 minutes/day

Total

686MB

Verdict

Inside

Finally, let's say, instead, that we forgo all other pleasures apart from streaming video. Emails are for wimps, IM for losers, browsing should be done on a computer and downloading is so 2002. With that in mind we can bathe in the luxury of 5 whole minutes of video streaming each day without going over the 750MB per month barrier, and that's it.

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Attempt 6 - The no media option

?

Emails

50/day

Attachments

10/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

0

Video streaming

0

Total

745MB

Verdict

Inside

Of course, if you really want to, you can save all your credits and ditch streaming and downloads altogether which is essentially what the original terms and conditions might have you do, and for good reason it seems. Suddenly, you get up to an hour's IM and browsing per day with as many emails and attachments as you can shake a stick at. Now that is what you might call unlimited.

So, there's a few fairly obvious conclusions we can take from this:

1) 750MB per month doesn't really get you that far
2) Video streaming will get you into trouble on this package
3) Although O2 simply presents users with the company's rather nebulous fair usage policy, it could well work out at more. Fortunately, both operators apply a warning system if you go over the limits rather than charging you the excess but it's probably not worth being a persistent offender.

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Related links:

• Feature - 12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for
• Feature - Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Features

How much does the Orange unlimited iPhone package give you? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:48:31 +0000

Sony Creative Software has announced the launch of "1000 Ringtones", a DVD containing ringtones designed for the Apple iPhone.

As well as music, the ringtones include sound effects and spoken words and users can select tones for incoming calls, emails and text messages.

In a move that will see iPhone owners bypassing Apple iTunes Store's charges for ringtones, the files are in MP3 and M4R format and can be used straight away by syncing the selected files with iTunes.

The DVD includes a tutorial video that demonstrates how to get the tones loaded on the iPhone in "simple steps".

"iPhone devices are one of the most popular cell phones on the market. We invite users to add a personal touch to their device with 1000 Ringtones", said Dave Chaimson, Sony Creative Software vice president of global marketing.

"1000 Ringtones" is now available for $19.95 in the States and for ?12.95 here in the UK.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Sony Music software Ringtones Audio Sony Creative Software iPhone Apple iTunes

Sony offers 1000 Ringtones for the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:19:24 +0000

Who needs official apps (all 100,000 of them)?when there are a handful of apps that aren't approved and available to anyone wishing to "Jailbreak" their iPhone.

With?BlackRa1n?now unlocking the latest 3.1.2 firmware and Apple's app process going potty at times, here are 12 Jailbreak apps to get you started*:

BlackRa1n

It comes as part of the blackra1n unlock and jailbreak and basically lets you install the three main unofficial app stores - Cydia, Rock and Icy. From here you then install apps, change themes and basically run amok.

Price: Free

3G Unrestrictor

This 99 cent app does what its name suggests and unrestricts apps like Skype that don't currently allow you to use them over a 3G connection. Load it up, select the applications you want unrestricted and then you can use them on the network without the need to find a wireless network. Good apps to try it with are the iTunes' and App store's (10MB limits disappear), Skype for using SkypeOut over the 3G network and SlingMedia's SlingPlayer for iPhone.

Price: 99 cents

GV Mobile

Apple may have pulled the Google Voice for mobile app in the official App Store, but that doesn't mean you can't get it in the unofficial one - Cydia. As long as you've got a Google Voice account (US only at the moment) you can then make calls, access your contacts list and generally use the service to its fullest without having to mess around with a web widget.

Price: Free

qTweeter

There are plenty of free and paid for legitimate Twitter apps for the iPhone. qTweeter is different in that it is just an app for firing out those thought provoking 140 character sentences you know you are good at. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen at any point, whether you are in an app or not, and qTweeter will allow you to post a tweet or Facebook status update in seconds. You can attach pictures, video and the URL from whatever page you are on in Safari.

Price: $4.99

Backgrounder

The iPhone doesn't allow multi-tasking of apps, but this app lets you do just that. Of course running applications in the background will have a serious drain on your iPhone battery performance if left running, but for people who like to Skype or run multiple apps, this allows you to jump to and from them without having to boot up the app every time.

Price: Free

Kirikae

Ignore the name - it has nothing to do with what this app actually does. Instead it will allow you, on a double tap of your home key, to see what apps are running on the iPhone as well as letting you access a list of favourite apps to load quickly. Working in harmony with Backgrounder, it basically lets you see what you've got running and better still allows you to close them if you've forgotten.

Price: Free

WinterBoard

Apple spent a long time designing the iPhone interface to be simple and effective in its design, but if that design just doesn't cut it you can install WinterBoard, which allows you to install themes and other functions, thereby altering how the iPhone user interface looks. Want a colourful picture instead of the black on your background? No problem. What about an Android or Palm webOS theme? You can do that as well. The app even lets you determine how many apps appear on each page.

Price: Free

Cycorder

Apple added video recording functionality to the iPhone 3GS, but for 3G owners that means you got zip. Not with this app. Cycorder basically allows your iPhone 3G to record video, even though Apple don't think you should. The app will capture video at 15 frames per second at a resolution 384 x 288 saving the end result as a QuickTime Movie.

Price: Free

PDAnet

AT&T still isn't offering tethering in the US, while in the UK O2 and Orange will charge you extra. Luckily for those who need to use their iPhone as a modem for their computer there is PDAnet, an app that, you guessed it, allows you to bypass the tethering blocks on the phone, allowing your computer to connect to the Internet. The application lets you connect a laptop via a Wi-Fi connection to the phone or via USB cable to Windows PCs. A warning though, if your operator finds out you could be disconnected.

Price: Free

TV-Out

Apple lets you connect your iPhone to your TV, with an approved cable, enabling you to watch YouTube videos or videos you've got stored in iTunes. However anything else is out of bounds. TV-Out lets you basically watch anything on the TV, be it a game, your email, Safari, Google maps, or anything else you can think of.

Price: Free

StatusNotifier

Turn on your iPhone and you're presented with a picture of the world and a "slide to unlock" command. Not very helpful is it? But what if you could fill that opening screen with a note telling you whether you've SMS, email, or IM messages you've got unread.

Price:?Free

BossPrefs

This is a management app that allows you to quickly turn off certain features of your iPhone without having to go through the setting pane. You get control over all the key elements like location, Bluetooth, brightness, EDGE, WiFi, as well as the ability to hide icons. You can even force a reboot or power off without having to press a physical button.

Price: Free

More

There are of course plenty more applications available. Which ones do you use? Share them in the comments below.

*Jailbreaking your Apple iPhone will void the warranty leaving you without official support if the handset goes wrong for any reason. Basically doing so means you are on your own.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone Apple App Store Features

12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:20:25 +0000

Apple has now officially announced that the App Store has hit the 100,000 available apps milestone.

Apple iPhone and iPod touch customers across 77 countries have downloaded well over 2 billion apps, making the App Store not only the largest, but the world's most popular.

"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".

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple iPhone apps App Store Statistics Biz

App Store hits 100,000 apps milestone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:26:18 +0000

The constant battle between Apple and those that want to open up the iPhone operating system took another step forward today, this time in favour of the coders.

George Hotz, a developer, has managed to circumnavigate Apple's coding to allow users to unlock the latest 3.1.2 iPhone update and allow users to install non approved applications as well as allow them to use the iPhone on other mobile networks like T-Mobile in the UK and US.

The software, which is available for both Mac and Windows users, requires very little knowledge of how these things work and will no doubt force Apple to release a new update to shut the loop hole.?For those who used the?DevTeam’s PwnageTool?to jailbreak, Hotz says the blacksn0w app will soon be available on Cydia, the unofficial app store.

Earlier on Tuesday a warning was issued that iPhone users who "jailbreak" their phones could be under threat by hackers?looking to steal personal information due to a security setting that is left open after a user unlocks their handset.

It is also worth mentioning that unlocking your handset voids the warranty.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Apple Blackra1n iPhone iPhone unlock

BlackRa1n iPhone 3GS unlocks iPhone in under 20 seconds originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:17:23 +0000

Orange's terms and conditions for its mobile internet ban applications like Spotify, AudioBoo, Ustream, Facebook and YouTube, something which could be of concern to those considering buying an iPhone with the mobile network.

In the company's T&Cs, it says:?"Not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing, non-Orange internet based video). Should such use be detected notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing".

That covers a whole host of different applications that are wildly popular on Apple's handheld computing platform. The company also limits its "Unlimited" plan to just 750MB per month, as Dan pointed out in his comparison feature the other day, which might be worth considering if you're planning to use these apps heavily.

The issue was spotted and pointed out to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones, who says: "if too many power users start streaming TV and playing online games on their phones, the Orange network may buckle under the strain".

Orange has, however, commented to the BBC - saying: "We do recognise that iPhone customers will use popular streaming services such as YouTube, Spotify etc. As a result we do not intend to apply network protection controls to anyone, as long as they are within their usage allowance. The T&Cs are in place to reserve the right to restrict access should they continue to exceed our Fair Usage policy, and our other Mobile data users suffer a reduced data experience as a result".

If you don't mean it, Orange, why put it in your T&Cs?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Spotify Facebook YouTube

Orange T&Cs ban Spotify, Facebook and YouTube originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:50 +0000

A number of Dutch iPhone users who had jailbroken their handsets came in for a shock recently, after a hacker was able to target them and attempt to extort 5 euros for instructions on how to "secure" the phone.

The hacker used port scanning to identify phones running on the T-Mobile network in the Netherlands that had SSH running. Most jailbroken handsets enable SSH so that a user can login and run terminal commands, but many people don't bother to change the default root password, leaving their phones vulnerable to attack.

The hacker posted a message on the handset, reading: "Important Warning: You iPhone's been hacked because it's really insecure! Please visit doiop.com/iHacked and secure your iPhone right now! Right now, I can access all your files. This message won't disappear until your iPhone's secure".

Visiting that site asks the user to send 5 euros to a PayPal account. Upon receipt, the hacker then promises to send out instructions on how to remove the hack, which Ars Technica reckons would most likely just be a factory reset of the phone.

So if you have a jailbroken iPhone, make sure you secure it by changing the default root password. If you're not sure how to do that, then a quick Google should sort you out. You can also deactivate SSH when you're not using it. The lesson, though, is to not trust sensitive information to a device that's running code you don't 100% trust.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Security

iPhones get jailbreak security warning originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:44:06 +0000

A Wi-Fi-less Apple iPhone has gone on sale in China and the first week's figures are described as "slow", thought to be a result of the amount of cheaper, unlocked iPhones available in the region.

Apple's official Chinese iPhone partner, China Unicom - that it signed a 3-year deal with back in August - has confirmed it has seen sales of 5000 iPhones so far since it went on sale last week.

China Unicom chairman, Chairman Chang Xiaobing, said, "We are satisfied with iPhone sales so far, and we aim to have an additional 1 million new 3G subscribers each month in the near future".

With a potential market of over 700 million, estimates put future Chinese iPhone sales at 460,000 per year - thought to be less than the number of "grey market" phones already in the country.

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Tags: Phones iPhone Biz China Unicom Statistics

5000 iPhones sold in China originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:42:50 +0000

Orange has announced that its first UK exclusive app, Orange Wednesdays, is now available on the App Store.

The new app from the operator - which is due to offer the iPhone from 10 November in the UK? -? brings the Orange Wednesdays cinema experience to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The app offers film reviews and trailers with info on what's on, where films are showing, information on how to get there and the ability to redeem the 2 for 1 Orange Wednesdays cinema voucher on the Orange iPhone.

Hit play on the video above for a brief overview, while the app is available as a free download over at the App Store now.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Orange Home Cinema Video iPhone

VIDEO: Orange Wednesdays iPhone app announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:53:35 +0000

If you're expecting to see a major difference in the cost of an iPhone between these two UK networks, then think again. It's not an accident that the price is similar. When it boils down to it, it seems likely that both companies buy the handsets with the same overheads and naturally that's going to be passed on to the customer. It may be a different story by the time Vodafone comes along but for now, that's the way it is.

That said, there are differences in the price plans, if not the overall cost of each package. Combine that with an alternative way of looking at each deal and you start to get a better picture of where the real value lies. Take a look. The O2 packages are in blue and the ones from Orange in, er, orange.

What strikes you first if you glance over to the far right column is that, generally speaking, those 24 month contracts seem to cost a lot more in the long run. In fact, if you look at the differences in similar deals over the two time periods, it's quite astonishing. So, it appears that extending the term to alleviate the initial outlay might not be such a good idea. Together with the fact that your phone is more likely to be out-dated in the course of 2 years and it looks very bad indeed.

Beyond that, it's quite impressive how well these tariffs have been set out within each provider as well. The jump up from handset to handset within each tariff is regular according to the time frame of pay back. The bottom line is that you're not going to find one deal that significantly better value than another. On the other hand, it does give you a better idea of which one might best suit your needs.

Other Choices

Other important considerations beyond the plan are going to be over which network is going to suit you. Both providers offer "unlimited" Wi-Fi hotspot access with their partners as well as making you pay additionally for internet tethering as well.

Both also provide what they call unlimited data packages too. Orange puts a real figure to it of 750MB, whereas O2 only refers to a fair usage policy which is designed to reflect proper usage as well as the user's drain on the rest of the network. In practice, it's designed to make sure people are just using their allowances for mobile browsing, but at the same time it does give the company a license to set the bar wherever it pleases. Which proves to be more in practice is anyone's guess.

Much has been suggested about O2's quality of network as well, but its people have also looked to the handset's short-comings to explain a perceived poor reception. It's unlikely there'll be a huge difference with Orange, so at the end of the day, you'll do best to stick with the provider that works best in your area.

Last of all, it's worth considering the added benefits. One reason for not talking about the PAYG plans is that Orange is applying its animal tariffs to them where you can receive free weekend and evening calls or unlimited texts or free music. At the same time, O2 has top-up bonuses to consider as well.

So, until Vodafone arrives onto the scene, what it might all come down to is Orange Wednesdays and a bit of personal choice. Of course, by that time there'll be a new iPhone to consider - in leaks if not in reality. Decisions, decisions. Ever thought about Android?

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Related links:

• News - Orange confirms 10 November for iPhone

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone Apple Tariffs Features O2

Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:22:07 +0000

Orange has now officially confirmed what we've previously reported - it will offer the iPhone in the UK from 10 November.

The iPhone 3G and 3GS will be available in Orange stores on Tuesday 10 November from 7am in certain stores with some shops staying open late.

The iPhone will be available on Orange in all Orange stores, online, at Orange HMV concessions, as well as through Apple Retail Stores, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U.

Revealing that a quarter of a million have pre-registered interest for the Apple phone, Orange says it will offer the iPhone on a pay as you go basis, to pay-monthly customers and to business customers too.

As far as pay as you go goes, customers who top-up ?50 at purchase will get an iPhone 3G for ?333 while the iPhone 3GS 32GB will be ?539. This compare's to O2's pricing of ?538.30.

The pay as you go deals offer just 250MB of data each month, plus a year's BT Openzone access.

On a pay monthly basis the iPhone 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models will be available on various monthly plans, with the 3GS 16GB free on all ?45 plans and the 3G model free from ?30 plans - both with a 24-month contract.

The cheapest monthly contract, a ?29.36 per month, 2-year contract will see the iPhone 3GS 32GB charged at ?225 with the handset only available free for those paying out for a ?73.40 a month contract. In terms of data, Orange has a "fair usage" allowance of 750MB per month.

O2's free handset structure for the 3GS 32GB is similar, although it charges ?274.23 for the phone on lower-cost 18-month tariffs and ?175.19 for the device on its 24-month ?34.26 plan.

iPhone owners who want to use their iPhone to get mobile broadband on their laptop can take out additional tethering bundles starting at ?5 per month.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone Apple Tariffs

Orange confirms 10 November for iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:27:49 +0000

From the chaps that brought us the iPhone with Cover Flow multi-tasking, Apple's mobile gets Dashboard Widgets in this latest concept.

The clip from Ocean Observations shows one possible way the iPhone could offer Dashboard Widgets as seen in the Mac operating system on desktops and MacBooks.

Hit play to see the vision and meanwhile we'll be sure to keep you posted with all iPhone news - real or imaginary.

Tags: Phones iPhone Mac software Concepts Video Ocean Observations

VIDEO: What if the iPhone had Dashboard Widgets? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:05:22 +0000

The BBC has announced it has made a deal with Stitcher.com to make its BBC World Service content available to users of the mobile phone-based application across the globe.

As many of you will know, Stitcher is a free mobile phone "Smart Radio" app, available on a number of handsets, including the iPhone, the Palm Pre and BlackBerrys.

The BBC World Service programming joins a wide range of audio content available including news, sport, talk and entertainment which is streamed on-demand.

BBC World Service will "provide a selection of English language podcasts, with programming such as Global News, Digital Planet, Global Arts & Entertainment and Africa Today", says the corporation.

Tags: Audio Media streaming Internet radio Stitcher BBC BBC World Service Mobile phone apps BlackBerry iPhone Podcasts iPhone apps Phones

BBC World Service content available on Stitcher app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:58:50 +0000

The New Yorker's front cover for its latest issue will show an illustration of parents accompanying kids as they trick or treat on the street.?

The interesting element though, isn't the illustration style or the recording of something millions of families do at Hallowe'en, it is the fact that while the children ask at the doors of houses for sweets, the adults are buried in their phones.?

The latest edition of the New Yorker will be out on the 2 November, with no hint as to what the cover story will be about.

But it's a good question? Will this be you at the weekend? Let us know in the comments

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Related links:

• Via - Twitter

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Android

Phone addicts at Hallowe'en: Is this what we have become? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:57:39 +0000

Google has said that it has no plans at present to offer?Google Maps Navigation?on other platforms like the iPhone?or BlackBerry?handsets for the time being, but hinted that might not always be the case.

"It's currently only available for the Android 2.0 OS," Michael Siliski, product manger for Google Maps?told Pocket-lint, however when pushed further did confirm that the iPhone 3GS would have the graphics power and OpenGL support to offer the software, perhaps suggesting an updated app could be in the works.

The new offering, called Google Maps Navigation, aims to take on GPS offerings from TomTom and Garmin by offering a fully functional GPS device in your phone. Users will be able to speak their directions to the handset rather than having to type them in and access maps and Points of Interest via the "cloud", suggesting mapping updates and new features needed to be downloaded will be a thing of the past.

With an Android 2.0 requirement, that currently limits the new service to the Verizon Droid handset, launching on 6 November in the US, is perhaps another reason why the Google Maps Navigation is US only for the time being.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Car And GPS Phones Google Google Maps Navigation GPS GPS software iPhone iPhone 3GS BlackBerry Motorola Droid

Google Maps Navigation "could" run on iPhone 3GS originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:06 +0000

An Apple fanboy has hit back at Verizon's Droid Does teaser campaign, created to promote the soon to be officially revealed Motorola Droid handset by bashing the iPhone, with a home-made 'iDon't care" response.

The video, that's currently racked up over 100,000 views on YouTube, states "iDon't need a droid... unless it's R2D2", before ending "iCame first" in reference to the iPhone.

Hit play to see the clip in full, and we'll be sure to bring you all the Motorola Droid - as well as Apple iPhone - news as it happens.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Verizon Advertising Video Apple iPhone Motorola Droid

VIDEO: Apple fanboy hits back with "iDon't care" clip originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:37:57 +0000

Settlers of Catan is a board game that was once memorably described as "perfect". It's based on a tropical island that you and up to three other players have landed on and are exploring. The objective is to accrue 10 victory points by capturing settlements and building roads.

The game is now available on the iPhone. It lets players compete against other humans or an AI, though there's no wireless multiplayer, so you'll have to pass the phone around to allow multiple players to take part. It lets you follow the exact rule set of the original game.

You can adjust the amount of victory points required to win, as well as launch a "friendly" robber mode. It also includes a bunch of beginners' tutorials for those who aren't terribly familiar with the game.

It costs ?3, or $5 in the States, and it's available now in the App Store.

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Tags: Gaming iPhone iPhone apps Settlers of Catan Board games

Settlers of Catan comes to iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:29:21 +0000

iPhone location games like Foursquare and Gowalla have one big drawback - you can't run them in the background. To "check in" at a location, you have to pull your phone out, connect to the Web, and then let the app do its thing.

But a new entrant to the space, Stalqer, has managed to sneakily hack the iPhone's email systems so that it can record you and your friends' locations in the background. The iPhone doesn't allow third-party apps to run in the background, so it's quite a feat that Stalqer has managed.

Here's how it works. The app sets up a secret email account on your device, and then monitors the iPhone's autocheck function. When it looks for new messages, the service inspects the POP or IMAP handshake, and particularly the IP address. That happens, apparently, every 15 minutes or so and the app then gets a location point.

There's also the option to check in manually on a Google map, and see your friends' locations. You can tie in your Facebook account, too, so that you can see where any friends who are also running the app are. Quite smartly, Stalqer can also show the location of friends who aren't signed up, grabbing public information off their profile like "City".

As you can imagine, the app comes with a plethora of privacy settings that give you fine-grained control over exactly who gets to see your location and when. Stalqer isn't monetized just yet - the company wants to see if people will go for it. It's not quite available yet, but has been submitted to Apple and you can sign up for an email when it's available.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps iPhone Stalqer Apple Foursquare Video

VIDEO: Stalqer iPhone location app released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:58:52 +0000

Google has unveiled a new version of the Gmail web interface for the iPhone and Android handsets. The last edition was released back in April, but since then the company has made a whole host of improvements, making the mobile version nearly as feature-complete as its desktop equivalent.

Google says: "Over the last six months, we've added a lot: mute, label management, keyboard shortcuts, smart links, an outbox, and the ability to move messages (label and archive in one step)".

"Some new features, like swipe-to-archive and auto-expanding compose boxes, take advantage of these mobile phones' unique properties. We also made address auto-complete faster, enhanced refresh capabilities, and sped up loading so Gmail for mobile starts in under three seconds on newer smartphones".

To get the update, you'll need to go to Gmail.com in your mobile browser, and when we tested it on an HTC Hero we had to download and install a small amount of data, presumably to enable the speed enhancements and offline support.

Unfortunately it doesn't hook into the notifications section of Android devices - they take you to the platform's default, but limited, Gmail app instead. We'd expect improvements to the default Gmail app in future Android builds, like Donut and Eclair.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android iPhone iPhone apps Google Apps Gmail Email

Gmail gets updated for iPhone and Android originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:43:07 +0000

The Apple iPhone is said to be due for a launch on Orange on 10 November, according to a report in The Times.

That Orange is to offer the iPhone - ending O2's exclusivity - is well known, but no date has yet been revealed as to when customers might hope to get the Apple mobile on the Orange network.

"The Times has learnt that Orange will start selling the handset in a little over two weeks. More than 200,000 people have pre-registered to buy an iPhone through the operator in the past month", says the paper.

The date makes sense as it's the first day after the O2-Apple 2-year exclusive agreement ends as O2 first offered the iPhone for sale in the UK on 9 November 2007.

We are waiting for official comment from Orange on the news and will update this story when we have more.

UPDATE: An Orange spokesperson says: "While we haven't yet announced a launch date, we have announced that iPhone will be available from Orange before Christmas. We look forward to announcing a launch date and pricing plans in the coming weeks".

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Tags: Phones Apple iPhone Orange Rumours

Orange to launch iPhone on 10 November originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:36:31 +0000

NASA has put together an iPhone application that'll let budding space-heads keep track of intersteller goings-on from their mobile phones. The app, which was released on 23 Oct, is called "NASA App For iPhone".

It allows users to view images about space, get information about specific missions and view videos and Twitter feeds. There's a few other features too - you can view exactly where the International Space Station - or other satellites - are at any given time, and view NASA's image of the day and astronomy image of the day.?

The objective, of course, is to increase public interest in space again. NASA has had a hard time since the 60s in keeping in the public eye, and has struggled with funding for that reason. An iPhone app won't turn its fortunes around single-handedly, but should hopefully keep people focused on the skies, even if it's via their iPhone screens.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps NASA iPhone iPhone apps

NASA launches iPhone App originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:44:07 +0000

Nokia has announced that it has filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware, alleging that Apple's iPhone infringes Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN standards.
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Nokia is naming ten patents in the suit that relate to technologies "fundamental to making devices which are compatible with one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCDMA) and wireless LAN standards".

The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and have apparently all been infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007.

Nokia says it has spent over 40 billion euros over the last 20 years on various patents, some of which have made it to being the industry standard. While almost all the major mobile manufacturers pay Nokia for licence agreements to use the tech covered by the patents, it appears Apple has refused to do so.

"The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for", said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, legal & intellectual property at Nokia.

"Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation".

Tags: Phones Nokia Apple Lawsuits iPhone Patents Biz

Nokia sues Apple over alleged iPhone patent infringements originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:43:18 +0100

Apple has placed the final piece of the "touch" puzzle today with the launch of a new mouse, called the Magic mouse, that has no buttons.

In a move that to many has gone unnoticed, Apple has over the last 6 years slowly been educating its faithful to embrace touch and ditch buttons once and for all.

The beginnings of touch

The move started some time ago of course with an iPod. While the first models had buttons, Apple was quick to ditch them in 2003. In came a touch sensitive wheel and buttons that saw you whizz around in circles scrolling through your music collection. It might have been clickable, but there was no d-pad element to it.

The big feel

2007 saw the launch of the iPhone and the?Apple iPod touch, two small touchscreen-only devices that ditched the buttons in favour of gestures on a screen. For the iPhone there had been touchscreen phones before, but virtually all of them focused on using a pen or a stylus to navigate around the screen rather than your finger. The finger was now the most important part of controlling your phone and what better way for Apple to show their intentions than naming a product with the buzz word - touch.

Smaller but equally important strokes

Now that people had grasped the idea of using their finger to control elements on their phone or MP3 player, Apple started making "touch" a focus point on its software and laptops.

The Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) launch saw certain controls within the OS, like Time Machine, get bigger buttons that emulated the iPhone operating system. The OS also added controls for using Apple-based software like iPhoto, allowing you to rotate images, zoom in, and use multiple fingers on the company's laptops thanks to the laptop's built-in touchpad.

New hardware

With touch firmly embedded in our minds Apple then ditched the dedicated click button from the laptop all together, replacing it with a single touchpad sheet. Now every new Mac is asking its user to embrace the finger, but the desktop machines and their users were missing out.

A cute "strokable" cat

If you've upgraded to?Apple OS X Snow Leopard?it's clear to see what Apple's direction is. There is a reason clicking (or should we say touching) on an icon in the dock launches Expose for that app. Or that Expose even exists in the first place. Snow Leopard is the most touchy feely of all the OSes to date.

Magic mouse

Confident that Apple users now grasp touch controls either by using a MacBook or MacBook Pro and/or an iPhone or iPod touch, Apple releases a touch-based mouse with no buttons or scroll wheel, pushing a new operating method on those who sign-up. It's the company's biggest and boldest move in the story so far as it's a completely new way to interact with your computer.

The strokable future

Yep, we know the Apple Tablet is just a rumour, but it is the next logical step in the "touch" story. Having spent the last 6 years educating its users to embrace the finger, a shift to hardware-less computing could replace the regular PC in the home, wipe out the need for multiple laptops and create a new industry completely for Apple.

You've graduated

Congratulations, you may not have realised it, but Apple has been educating you in the way of "touch" without you even realising it. For Apple, touch devices are cheaper to make, easier to design and are overall more "lifestyle" in their approach.

Get ready to show your computer the finger even more in the future.

Tags: Hardware Audio Software Features Apple iPhone iPod iPod Touch Mac software Snow Leopard Internet tablets Magic Mouse

Apple's been showing you the finger longer than you think originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:03:13 +0100

The world might be struggling following on from the fall out of the economic downturn that then became the worldwide recession, but that hasn't stopped Apple boasting its most "profitable quarter ever" suggesting they are charging customers too much for the latest must have gadgets.

According to the company's latest results it the company posted revenue of $9.87 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1.67 billion. Gross margin was 36.6 percent, up from 34.7 percent in the year-ago quarter.

In the three months running up to the end of the quarter Apple sold 3.05 million Macs, no doubt spurred on by the launch of Snow Leopard, which experienced more than double the sales the company was expecting and therefore representing a 17% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. As for the iPhone, Apple says that it sold over 7.4 million iPhones - a 7% unit growth over the year-ago quarter bringing the total of iPhones sold to over 21 million handsets.

"We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO before promising "some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010."

However it's not all good news. Although Apple sold 10.2 million iPods during the quarter it was an 8% decline in sales on the previous year. The results follow a a similar decline in Q3 where iPod sales were down 7% on the year previously.

Apple also used the results call to confirm that it would be launching the iPhone in China at the end of October (30th).

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Tags: Biz Results Apple iPhone Hardware Audio

Apple: Most profitable quarter ever originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:28:11 +0100

The days of the mobile phone being just a device for making emergency calls are far behind us, but while most of us have handsets that can at least play music or download our email on the go, the biggest fear now facing mobile phone operators and carriers around the world is the ability to use the mobile Internet connection that we all feel is our right, to stream live television over the network.

They say you wait forever and then two buses come at once. And that's exactly what happened for the iPhone in the last seven days. Not one live streaming TV service, but two were launched. The result is that O2 in the UK has had to issue a warning over the?TVCatchup iPhone site, one of the services that if users use too much, means they could be cut off.

Meanwhile AT&T in the US had to move in to get a new app by TV tuner maker?Elgato?that allowed users to stream television from a TV tuner plugged into their Mac directly to their iPhone over the 3G network, changed.

While Apple has the power to force a change in the app, something they have?done, and O2 to block the streaming service, something they are threatening, other handset platforms, which are more open, like Android or Symbian, don't have as operator friendly approach and that's before you even start to address jailbroken apps that allow offerings like SlingPlayer Mobile to work on the 3G network.?

The problem of course isn't about you watching television, although it does raise questions about TV licensing laws in the UK, but about the strain on the network.

Strangely operators like O2 and AT&T are already struggling under the strain of supplying data requests to all it's smartphone users. Add in a constant stream of large amounts of data, i.e., from a popular streaming TV service, and I wouldn't be surprised if the networks around the globe buckle massively under the strain.

Forget the previous concerns of the operators in losing revenue over VoIP calls, thanks to services like Skype and Google Voice, think about the cost of managing a network that is now about data, rather than calls without the ability to charge SMS prices.

So what's the solution? In the short term I wouldn't be surprised if mobile operators moved to either ban them outright or move to create a tiered data system aimed at those who want to consume the larger data content over those that don't.

We might have moved into an "all you can eat" pricing model at the moment in the form of "unlimited" packages, but that is no longer beneficial for the operators for the admittedly minority users who are heavy consumers of data.

While I would love to believe that heavy data users will be able to continue as is, I just can't see that happening. A tiered system based on speed or data consumption would benefit virtually everyone just as it does in the fixed (landline) broadband market. Those who need to stream movies or games can do so with a service that fits their needs, and more importantly have the right to complain if it doesn't. Those who just need email or basic websurfing can do that too.

Whatever the handset or the app one thing is certain - the headache facing operators on how to manage the network, and therefore our expectations of it are only going to get worse.

Tags: Comment Phones AT and T O2 iPhone Elgato TVCatchup Mobile phone apps iPhone apps SlingPlayer Mobile SlingPlayer

TV streaming has mobile operators running scared originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:05:12 +0100

In our first-look review of Google Wave, we argued that - like Twitter - Wave needs applictions for it to be truly useful. The first of those desktop applications has arrived - albeit in a very limited state and only for Mac users.

Waveboard is currently in version 0.4, and is being called "simple and practical" by users who've tested it. All it does is put the web interface in its own Window, as if it was in your browser. It also puts out notifications when things happen via its dock symbol, menu entry and a growl notification. Not much for now, but still better than the web interface.

The same developer also has an iPhone version, which is featured in the brief video above. That's not quite out yet, but it's been submitted to the App Store for approval. When it's up and ready for download, we'll be sure to let you know.

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Tags: Software Online Google Google Wave Waveboard Mac software iPhone Apple iPhone apps Mobile phone apps Video

VIDEO: First Google Wave desktop client arrives originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:30:18 +0100

Elgato, a company that makes TV watching software for Macs, released an iPhone application at the end of September which allowed users to watch live television and previously made from their handset when in range of a Wi-Fi connection.

Except that it also did something else. The company accidentally left in code that'd allow users to stream video over 3G connections too - a feature that it had just been using for testing purposes. That broke Apple's rules, so within hours of the feature being noticed the app had disappeared from the App Store.

Elgato told Pocket-lint: "Some test code that enabled live TV streaming over the cellular network was accidentally left in the the EyeTV App. Apple requested that we remove the code since their agreement with AT&T does not allow redirecting TV signals over the cellular network".

"The code was removed and a 1.0.1 version of the EyeTV app was submitted. We expect EyeTV to return to the App Store when the 1.0.1 version is approved".

And return it did - very quickly and in its original rule-breaking 1.0.0 form. Previously downloaded copies haven't been remotely removed from handsets by Apple, either. Instead of the normally hardline approach that Apple takes towards its App Store, it's showing uncharacteristic kindness.

Elgato expects the old version currently on the store to get replaced with 1.0.1 as soon as it's approved, and we wouldn't be surprised if Apple forced a software update on 1.0.0 owners when that happens. Still, it seems like the icy heart of the App Store has melted just a little.

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Tags: Software iPhone Elgato TV Elgato EyeTV Mobile phone apps App Store Apple

Elgato EyeTV pulled from App Store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:31:42 +0100

Exactly as rumoured, Rock Band for the iPhone has now appeared in the App Store. EA made the app official shortly after the game was spotted in a mobile showreel for the company, and it's now available in the App Store for ?6 or $10, depending on which side of the Atlantic you reside on.

?The game shares a lot of its mechanics with the Tap Tap Revenge series (which in turn took its cues from the console versions of Rock Band and Guitar Hero). You simply tap the screen in time with the music to play notes, and missing one will reset your score multiplier. Overdrive is present, as is the star ratings system from the console versions.

You can pick from guitar, bass, drums and vocals, though they're all performed by tapping the screen so there isn't much difference between them. You can't sing into the iPhone, unfortunately. Multiplayer is present - up to four players through Bluetooth, complete with Facebook Connect to make it more easy to rope your friends in.

There's 20 songs that come with the game, and more that you can buy from an in-game store. Here's the full tracklisting, which seems pretty similar to the Rock Band 2 tracklist:

"Attack" – 30 Seconds To Mars
"Girls Not Grey" – AFI
"Move Along" – All American Rejects
"Sabotage" – Beastie Boys
"All The Small Things" – Blink-182
"Hanging on the Telephone" – Blondie
"Learn To Fly" – Foo Fighters
"Everlong" – Foo Fighters
"Bad to The Bone" – George Thorogood & the Destroyers
"Hymn 43″ – Jethro Tull
"Bad Reputation" – Joan Jett
"Simple Man" – Lynard Skynard
"Ace of Spades ‘08″ – Motorhead
"Debaser" – Pixies
"Ladybug" – Presidents of The United States of America
"Give It All" – Rise Against
"Lazy Eye" – Silversun Pick Ups
"Cherub Rock" – Smashing Pumpkins
"Take The Money and Run" – Steve Miller Band
"We Got The Beat" – The Go Go's

If you pick it up on your handset, let us know what the experience is like in the comments below. Does the iPhone 3G have enough power to let the game run smoothly? We imagine it wouldn't be much fun if it were jerky...

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Tags: Gaming Phones Mobile phones iPhone App Store Apple Rock Band EA Tap Tap Revenge

Rock Band now available in App Store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:50:10 +0100

Motorola's leaked Droid, a new Android-based handset, is getting very close to launch as Verizon - the mobile phone operator in the States that will offer the device - has begun a teaser campaign.

"All the things your phone doesn't do, Droid Does", states Verizon, in a direct attack on Apple's popular iPhone while the ad lists all the iPhone's "iDont's".

These include digs at the iPhone's lack of ability to run simultaneous apps, that fact that phone only has a 3.2-megapixel camera, lack of "open development", and no interchangeable battery.

Hit play now to see the ad/attack - the Motorola Droid is being prepped for a November launch - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Android Verizon Advertising Video Rumours iPhone Apple

VIDEO: Verizon teases with "Droid does" anti-iPhone ad originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:03:45 +0100

It's no secret that there are plenty of fake iPhone products on the market, but attend a trade show in Asia and you'll see more than your fair share. There are of course rip-offs of other phones as well, although most of those don't tend to add much in terms of functionality.

In this case we spotted a rather intriguing fake, as this handset from one of the many Shanzai's displaying their wares, actually adds interesting features that we don't expect and will never be added to the real deal.

It's really a simple idea, a keyboard integrated into a protective case with a customised connector for the phone. Although it's not a great keyboard, as among other things, the layout is terrible, it does at least get the job done in a fairly elegant way.

However, the interface to the phone is anything but elegant, as it's using a row of connects that runs nearly the full length of the right hand side of the phone itself.

Apart from this, the handset itself doesn't really have any standout features, but it's interesting to see that the manufacturer decided to call its music player application "iPod", something we're certain Apple won't be all too happy about.

We wouldn't recommend anyone investing any money into one of these knock-offs, but if nothing else, this is an interesting design study into what the iPhone could've looked like with a keyboard.

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Tags: Phones iPhone Clones Mobile phones

iPhone clone gets keyboard in case originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:52:24 +0100

Remember Command and Conquer Red Alert back from your gaming heydays of the mid 90s? Thought you did and that is clearly what? EA are hoping for, with the launch of an iPhone edition in the next couple of weeks.

Of course Pocket-lint was there to grab a quick play and snap a few shots of the game in action. The end result? Lots and lots of finger scrolling as you manage your soldiers, vehicles and aircraft around the tiny screen.

We didn't get a good enough play to do a full on first look review, that wouldn't be fair, but aside from the control mechanism, which you are either going to grasp or not, fans of the series will relish the graphics, looks and feel of the game - it really is like going back 13 years.

With 12 levels in the campaign mode and a skirmish mode too, as long as your finger seems up for it then this should allow you to relive those C&C days.

Tags: Gaming Mobile phone games iPhone EA Command and Conquer Red Alert for iPhone RTS Photos

PHOTOS: Command and Conquer Red Alert for iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:11:05 +0100

EA has said that where relevant it will include graphical optimisation for the iPhone 3GS in its games for the phone platform.

The news comes as the company is gearing up to release a number of games in the next couple of weeks including NBA Live, which will have graphics that use the extra processing power in the 3GS.

"We won't just release a game that only works on the 3GS", an EA spokesman told Pocket-lint, "however we will add extra shadows and use the processor to the full if the game warrants it."

The result of the optimisation is extra shadows, smoother cutscene playback and overall better graphics.

Although not shown to Pocket-lint as yet, EA said that?Need for Speed: Shift?for the iPhone and iPod touch currently in development, would also be optimised for the 3GS.

Tags: Gaming iPhone Phones Mobile phone games Mobile phone apps EA iPhone 3GS

EA iPhone 3GS optimised games inbound originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:25:39 +0100

TVCatchup, a company based in Britain which allows the watching of live television on its website, managed to get itself into trouble with broadcasters last year after offering a free program recording service, which it was then forced to suspend after its hosting was terminated by its ISP.

However, the site has now launched an iPhone (or iPod Touch) version of its website that allows anyone who visits iphone.tvcatchup.com on their handset to watch live UK television, albeit with a delay of about a minute.

It won't work outside of the UK, but within the country it claims that it's completely legitimate. A mobile version had originally been planned for early 2008 but was abandoned after browsers that supported Flash (like SkyFire) began to appear on mobile phones.

The iPhone, which still doesn't support Flash, was left out of the party, but this new solution offers playlist downloads to get around the problem. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch then give it a go and let us know what you think.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone TVCatchup Video on demand TV

TVCatchup launches iPhone site originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:57:23 +0100

There are "thousands" of iPhones running on the 3 network across the UK, a spokesperson for the operator has told Pocket-lint.

The comment came in response to our query following a report from The Telegraph that all five mobile carriers in the UK are currently offering the iPhone, whether or not they are official operator partners. ?

T-Mobile has been offering the device to high-spending customers as part of an unofficial retention plan, and? 3 is employing the same policy, albeit in very limited numbers.

"Thousands of people have chosen to use their iPhone on the 3 network", the 3 spokesperson told us, referring to iPhones that have either been unofficially unlocked - "jailbroken" - or officially unlocked and in the UK via distribution channels in Europe.

O2 is currently the only official Apple iPhone partner in the UK, but is soon to be joined by T-Mobile merger partner Orange this year and Vodafone in 2010.

Tags: Phones iPhone 3 O2 Orange Vodafone T-Mobile Rumours Apple

"Thousands" of iPhones on 3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:59:02 +0100

Those of you lucky enough to both be in the Google Wave preview and own an iPhone or Android device might be interested to hear that the service apparently works on mobile.

If you visit wave.google.com in your mobile browser, you should find an interface that allows you to view and select waves, different contacts, or view specific things. We tested this ourselves, and got a big fat "Could not open page" on both Android and iPhone, so we can't confirm this development ourselves, but TechCrunch is reporting it as fact.

More interestingly, if - on the iPhone - you save the bookmark to your home screen and re-launch it, then you get a version of the app that doesn't have the Safari functions around it. Instead, it appears full-screen, like a regular app would. This is a feature that was made available a year ago in the 2.1 iPhone update.

One of the biggest issues with Wave in its current state is that you can't access it when you're not sat at your computer, making it considerably less useful as a communications tool. A Wave app for Android can't be too far off, but it'll be interesting to see whether Google sticks with the web app for the iPhone, after its recent difficulties getting its Latitude app approved.

Does it work for you on your Android handset or iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Software Google Google Wave iPhone Android Rumours

Google Wave working on iPhone and Android? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:15:04 +0100

GEAR4 has announced it is to launch what it says is the world's first dedicated wireless iPhone charger – the PowerPad.

Rather than conductive charging, the PowerPad uses inductive charging, where power is transmitted through the case to the iPhone battery. This means the iPhone can be placed anywhere on the charge pad to be juiced up.

The charging pad plugs into the mains, while the rubber receiver case - that can also act as a protective cover when out and about - powers the device up wirelessly. GEAR4 claims the same charge time as standard wired chargers.

The PowerPad will be available across Europe from November, the charge pad and case kit will cost ?79.99 or 99.99 euros.

Tags: Phones iPhone accessories GEAR4 Wireless Chargers Gear4 PowerPad Gadgets iPhone

GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:07:33 +0100

Apple has moved to squash users who jailbreak their handsets by changing the way the iPhone is coded in the first place.

According to reports on the Web, Apple is supposedly shipping new iPhone 3GS phones with a new "bootrom" that is resistant to the 24kpwn exploit used by the Dev-Team and others to jailbreak the iPhone.

MuscleNerd from the iPhone Dev-Team has confirmed that the loss of the 24kpwn exploit would mean a normal jailbreak would be impossible for the time being.

Those looking to jailbreak their handset allowing them to install unapproved Apple apps on their iPhone are, says MuscleNerd, recommended to look for "refurbished iPhone 3GS units" for the time being.

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• Via - BGR

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Apple iPhone Dev-Team

Apple ups ante in jailbreaking fight originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:10:00 +0100

Apple is expected to launch a radio app for its iPhone and iPod touch, allowing users to tune into their favourite radio stations on the Internet.

The rumour, which this time comes from sources talking to 9to5mac.com, will be a radio app that "will be allowed to operate in the background like iPod.app and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new Apple iPod nano (5th Gen)".

The article goes on to suggest that the application would also allow you to by music from the mobile iTunes store once you hear it, no doubt massively increasing sales in iTunes.

Apple has so far shied away from offering a radio on its iPod line, however with Microsoft's Zune HD offering the feature, some believe that Apple is making the move as to not play second fiddle to the OLED packing MP3 player.

It is also expected that the radio app would offer the same Live Pause functionality that the Nanos currently enjoy.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio MP3 players Apple iPod Radios Internet radios iPod nano iPod Touch iPhone Phones Mobile phones

Apple rumoured to be working on radio app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:56:47 +0100

Following the news that O2 has lost its operator exclusive on the iPhone, Carphone Warehouse has suffered a similar fate with its retail exclusive.

Phones4U has announced that it will be selling the Apple iPhone range from both Orange and O2 in shops and online while Orange's in-store deal with HMV means the Apple mobile will also be on sale in select HMV stores too.

The news from Phones4U alone means the iPhone will be available soon at an additional 400-plus shops across the UK.

Brendan Sweeney, Phones4U's managing director said in a release: "We are very pleased to be partnering with both Orange and O2 to sell the iPhone. Recognised for our in-depth understanding of the youth market and their needs, our knowledgeable and skilled staff are in a strong position to introduce the Apple iPhone to our Phones4U customer base".

It's as yet unknown when Orange iPhone sales will begin, with mid-November thought likely, while Vodafone will also offer the device in 2010.

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Related links:

• Reviewed - iPhone 3GS

Tags: Phones iPhone Phones4U O2 Orange Mobile phone industry Vodafone HMV Carphone Warehouse

Phones4U and HMV to offer the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:48:59 +0100

If you are considering getting the Pre, then it might interest you to know that more than a quarter of UK consumers surveyed recently by TNS have expressed an interest in buying Palm's new Pre smartphone, due to go on sale via O2 in the UK at the end of this week.

26% of those quizzed will "definitely or probably" snap up a Pre, which is 10% more than those who expressed similar intent to get an Apple iPhone back in 2007.

The figure that wants a Pre grows to 27% as far as existing O2 customers go and 32% of those asked currently on other networks said they'd consider switching to O2 to get it.

"While awareness of the Palm Pre is lower than that of the iPhone pre-launch, the figures suggest that once the new handset hits the shelves it has the potential to capture a substantial share of the UK's smartphone market", says TNS.

Palm Pre is due to launch in the UK on 16 October. It will be free to O2 customers taking out a ?34.26 a month, 24-month contract and to customers taking an 18-month contract at ?44.05 or ?73.41 per month.

Those opting for ?29.38 or ?34.26, 18-month contracts will have to stump up ?96.89 for the handset.

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Related links:

• Reviewed - Palm Pre

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Palm Statistics iPhone TNS O2 Palm Pre

More pre-release demand for the Palm Pre than the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:55:30 +0100

Adobe is the latest company to launch an iPhone app, according to an announcement on Friday.

The free app, currently only available in US and Canadian iTunes stores, will allow users to edit their photos, apply effect and share images from their phone via the company's Photoshop.com offering.

“Now, with access to powerful editing and sharing tools, iPhone users are armed with the resources to document all of life’s unexpected moments, make them look their best and then re-live those memories with friends and family", said the company in a statement.

Using your finger, would be digital artists will be able to touch up, crop, rotate and flip their photos as well as adjust colour, saturation, tint, exposure and vibrancy, and convert them to black and white.

The app also offers a Sketch tool that promises to help photos look like drawings, and Soft Focus can give photos a subtle blur for artistic effect say Adobe.

Hoping to take on services like Flickr, which has a high iPhone user base, Adobe has given the app the ability to view images stored on Photoshop.com, which currently comes with 2GB of free storage.

As for a global roll out? Adobe told Pocket-lint that it was unable to comment on whether the Photoshop for iPhone app would be coming to the UK or other iTunes stores around the world.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Adobe Apple iPhone iPhone apps Photoshop Mobile for iPhone

Adobe Photoshop Mobile for iPhone app released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:43:45 +0100

Warner Bros is offering an iPhone app to celebrate the release of the forthcoming film of the beloved children's book, "Where The Wild Things Are".

The film - from Spike Jonze and with collaboration from the book's author Maurice Sendak - hits the big screen this month.

The iPhone app includes pics from the movies that can be set as wallpaper, trailers and clips from the film, some of the movie's soundtrack and official movie posters.

So far so standard, but there's also the opportunity to interact with one of the wild things, Carol, where you can have a mud fight, get him to dance to your music and see him eat up your photos and contacts, the last of which has got to delight any kid.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Warner Bros iPhone Where The Wild Things Are

Warner Bros creates Where The Wild Things Are iPhone app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:22:56 +0100

A new iPhone app available on the Apple App Store offers training on the go - using the iPhone as part of the programme.

"REPS: Mobile Trainer is the easy way to burn calories or tone muscles by using your iPhone or iPod like a free weight. Simply curl your iPhone up and down like you would a weight and watch the calories drop in real time", reads the blurb for the new app.

As well as the concept of using the 135 gram iPhone as a free weight, the app brings a real-time rep counter, calorie counter and weight loss targets, while music from the iDevice can be played at the same time as training. There's also "motivational audio messages" from a personal trainer.

REPS: Mobile Trainer is available now for the iPhone and iPod touch for ?1.79.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Sports Fitness iPhone

REPS app uses iPhone as free weight originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:51:01 +0100

INQ Mobile CEO, Frank Meehan, has slammed other mobile handset manufacturers saying they are only focusing on big screens and megapixel cameras because they haven't worked out how to do software well.

"Those manufacturers appear obsessed with fighting Apple with ludicrously feature-rich devices – things like four-inch widescreens and 12-megapixel cameras – but only because they haven’t invested in bringing out a strong internet-centric, software driven product to match Apple", Meehan said in a comment piece on an mobile industry website, Mobiletoday.co.uk before continuing his issues further:

"Frankly, none of these so called ‘iPhone killers’ have excited enough consumers to make a difference".

Meehan says that he believes that "neither consumers nor operators have had a great choice in the mass market handset space" citing 2009's most popular handsets, the Samsung Tocco Lite and LG Cookie, both which lack 3G.

Clearly gunning for his own company's brand of internet focused handsets, Meehan believes that like BT and the BBC have revitalised digital content for the PC, the same opportunities are just waiting to be exploited by operators in the mobile space.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Inq

INQ CEO: "iPhone killers just not exciting enough" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:18:47 +0100

Apple has released yet another iPhone software update, this time iPhone OS 3.1.2, promising to fix a couple of bugs in the process.

The new update, says Apple, will solve the sleep issue in which the iPhone refuses to wake up, created by version OS 3.1.1.

Other fixes include:

• Resolves sporadic issue that may cause iPhone to not wake from sleep
• Resolves intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart
• Fixes bug that could cause occasional crash during video streaming

The update is also available for the iPod touch and is available via iTunes.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Software updates Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 3.1.2 update released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:02:34 +0100

Both EA and Namco appear to be planning iPhone versions of their popular video game franchises - Rock Band and Tekken, respectively. Both games are in development, with Rock Band seeming to be the one that'll be appearing first.

Rock Band is already available on several mobile devices, but judging from a demo reel of EA Mobile's portfolio, spotted by CrunchGear, the game is firmly in the works with a video showing notes flowing down a fretboard and four plectrum-shaped buttons at the bottom for triggering them. It'll apparently have premium content downloadable, and four player multiplayer via Bluetooth.

Tekken for the iPhone, on the other hand, has been outed by Jonathan Kromray - Namco's head of its Apple Games division. Speaking to the Washington Post, he said: "If we can take Tekken and make it really fun to play on the iPhone, then we will. We do have a back catalogue of Japanese games that we're working on, as well as some new IP".

We'll keep you posted on the progress of both games as we get new information.

Related links:

• News - Tekken 6 to get Xbox 360 release too
• Via - Digital Spy
• Via - MobileCrunch

Tags: Gaming iPhone Apple Rock Band Tekken

Tekken and Rock Band coming to iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:33 +0100

AT&T has confirmed that it will enable VoIP applications like Sykpe, and Vonage on the iPhone to run on its 3G network on Tuesday.

The news opens the floodgates for more services such as Google's Voice application and other third party apps, and follows a FCC investigation currently still proceeding over Apple's decision to decline approval for Google's iPhone Voice application.

"In late summer, AT&T said it was taking a fresh look at VoIP capabilities on iPhone for use on AT&T’s 3G network, consistent with its regular review of device features and capabilities to ensure attractive options for consumers", the company says in a statement, before stating that "today’s decision was made after evaluating our customers’ expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer".

"We applaud today's announcement by AT&T to open up its 3G network to Internet calling applications such as Skype. It is the right step for AT&T, Apple, millions of mobile Skypers and the Internet itself", Josh Silverman, president of Skype said.

Throwing the ball back into Apple's court, a spokesman for Skype told Pocket-lint that it is waiting "for Apple to update their SDK rules, which they've said they'll be doing shortly", before being able to release an update with 3G capabilities for iPhone users.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Apple AT and T iPhone apps Mobile phone apps

AT and T to allow VoIP calling on iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:01:11 +0100

Similar to the situation in the UK, it's been announced that the Apple iPhone will soon be offered by two new operators in Canada.

This move ends Rogers' exclusive on the handset, and is no doubt music to the ears of Canadian consumers angered by Rogers' high pricing when the device debuted.

Bell Canada and Telus have officially announced that the iPhone will be coming to their networks in November, echoing how things stand in the UK where O2's exclusive is due to end soon with first Orange, then Vodafone, due to offer Apple's mobile.

In Canada - as in the UK - neither company has yet released details on pricing.

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Related links:

• News - iPhone coming to Vodafone
• News - iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Apple iPhone Telus Bell Mobility Rogers

Two more operators to offer the iPhone in Canada originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:49:17 +0100

The Apple iPhone already has six Flash based applications available to download via the App Store, Adobe has said.

The news, which might come as a surprise to Apple, has been possible through a new authoring package from the company that is more famous for its Photoshop line of products.

"The next version of Flash Authoring will enable developers to create stand-alone iPhone applications using Flash technologies", says Adobe in a blog post.

Although stressing that doesn't mean the iPhone is about to play internet video or adverts on the sites you currently visit, it should open up the possibility of more Flash based applications in the App Store.

Currently, in private beta, the company is hoping to invite in more developers by the end of the year in a public offering.

iPhone owners looking to try out Flash on the iPhone will be able to download either: That Roach Game, Just Letters, Chroma Circuit, Fickleblox, Red Hood, and Trading Stuff from the App Store right now.

"One thing that I really want to stress though, is that developing for the iPhone is mobile/device development. The iPhone has a significantly slower processor and less memory than what can be found in a typical desktop computer", said Mike Chambers at Adobe.

Earlier on Monday, Adobe announced a number of deals with manufacturers of almost all the world's major smartphones. It's done deals with RIM (who produce the BlackBerry handsets), Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm, and Google.

Adobe has said that it is still working on creating an Adobe Flash plug-in for the Safari browser, something that isn't currently available.

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Related links:

• link - Adobe Applications for iPhone
• and via - itproportal

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Mobile phone apps Adobe iPhone Apple Flash

iPhone already has Flash, just not in Safari originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:14:06 +0100

An iPhone price war is unlikely to happen says the CEO of Carphone Warehouse in the UK when Orange and Vodafone offer the handset in the coming months.

“I am not convinced there will be a price war. That is a game that only leads in one direction and that is all of them losing. This battle will be fought on other fronts", Andrew Harrison, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse has told The Times of London.

The comments come as Orange prepares to stock the iPhone before the end of the year ending a 2 year exclusive run from competing operator O2.

Consumers are hoping that the French owned operator will be forced into a price war alongside Vodafone when it starts stocking the iPhone in 2010 to lure customers away from O2.

According to the article, Orange has already received 125,000 pre-orders for the handset from Apple as customers, unhappy with O2's coverage and recent data network crashes, look to move away from the service.

At the time of the announcement O2 said:

"We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success".

"We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK", says the operator.

Expect tariff wars to get heated.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Orange O2 Vodafone Tariffs

iPhone price war unlikely originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:19:00 +0100

Pioneer has revealed a pair of iPod docks that'll be launching in the next few weeks. There's the XW NAS3 and XW NAS5. Both are officially licensed by Apple in the "Made for iPod" range.

First up, the XW-NAS3 contains a pair of speakers and a subwoofer that makes up a 2.1 system. It has Bluetooth, too, which means that if you're not an iPod or iPhone owner, but you do have Bluetooth on your player, then you can use that to transmit instead.

The XW-NAS5 contains all the same functionality as the NAS3, but adds a couple of sound enhancement features. Pioneer's "Advanced Sound Receiver" enhances compressed music files, and its "Auto Level Control" will normalise the volume between different tracks.

Pioneer don't have full pricing and availability details just yet, but as soon as they do, they've promised they'll send them to us. When they do, we'll update this post.

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Related links:

• News - Pioneer launches CDJ-2000 turntable

Tags: Audio Pioneer Speakers iPod speakers iPhone Phones Mobile phones Pioneer XW NAS3 Pioneer XW NAS5

Pioneer launches XW NAS3 and XW NAS5 iPod docks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:48:19 +0100

Adobe has announced a whole pile of deals with manufacturers of almost all the world's major smartphones. It's done deals with RIM (who produce the BlackBerry handsets), Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm, and Google. Notice one name missing from that list? The iPhone hasn't joined the party.

Adobe has said that the full Flash player - starting from version 10.1 - will be arriving on browsers on Windows Mobile and Palm webOS handsets later this year. Betas for Symbian and Android are expected to be showing up early next year, and BlackBerry is labelled as a vague "in the future".

Flash 10.1, if the company's vision is realised, will work over PCs, smartphones, netbooks and other devices seamlessly. It's part of the company's wide-ranging Open Screen Project. Up until now phones have had a chopped back version of Flash, called Flash lite, but the new version will be full-functioning Flash.

Handsets that are capable of Flash 10.1 will get an over-the-air upgrade, meaning that customers shouldn't have to do anything. Meanwhile, the iPhone is conspicuous by its absence. Adobe has said it's working with Apple, but that it's all running on a different timescale to the rest of the companies.

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Related links:

• News - RIM to bring flash to BlackBerry phones

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Adobe RIM Windows Mobile Palm Google iPhone Apple

Flash coming to almost every smartphone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:12:01 +0100

The creators of an iPhone calculator application have installed a profanity filter in fear of falling foul of Apple's stringent App Store policies. The company behind PCalc won't let you use your calculator to spell out rude words.

If you're confused, think back to your school days - typing in 5318008 and then turning the calculator upside down and having a bit of a giggle, then trying to explain what's going on to an angry teacher who knows exactly what's going on.

Apple is very strict about 17+ content on its app store. App developers are often fearful of their apps getting rejected for even a hint of "inappropriate" content. The profanity filter is active in both the paid-for PCalc app and the free PCalc Lite application.

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Related links:

• News - HP offers retro calculator iPhone app

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Calculators Apple iPhone

iPhone calculator app censors 5318008 joke originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:14:14 +0100

Forgot your glasses? There's an app for that. iMagnify, available now on the App Store, takes the image from the iPhone's camera and zooms in up to four times to help the long-sighted among us. Hit the video to see it in action.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps iMagnify Video iPhone

VIDEO: iMagnify iPhone app in action originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:10:23 +0100

O2 has run out of the iPhone 3GS, according to reports. Ahead of the operator losing exclusivity of the high-end smartphone, stock issues have meant there are none to be sold.

An O2 spokesperson told the Telegraph: ?We continue to see extremely high levels of demand for the iPhone which means it comes in and out of stock very quickly and will be why the website hasn't had any since Monday".

The O2 website states that both black and white iPhone 3GS are "not currently available" for contract or PAYG customers while the Telegraph suggests the majority of O2 shops across the UK have been without any of the 3GS models for the last 2 weeks.

Some are suggesting that the shortage may be due to Apple diverting stock to Orange ahead of the iPhone sales debut on that network, but back in July, Apple's CFO admitted: ?We are currently unable to make enough iPhone 3GS to meet robust demand and we are working to address this".

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Tags: Phones iPhone O2 Apple Orange Rumours

O2 runs out of the iPhone 3GS originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:43:12 +0100

Apple appears to be up to something. The company very quietly purchased Placebase - an online mapping startup - back in July. It was announced in a tweet, but labelled as "all hush hush" by Fred Lalonde, the founder of openplaces.org.

However, Seth Weintraub of Computer World noticed that the founder of Placebase is now listed as a member of the "Geo Team" at Apple, on his LinkedIn profile. The company's website, placebase.com, is now offline too.

The web is buzzing with bloggers wondering what this could mean. Is Apple's widening gulf with Google expanding further? Google helped Apple develop its maps iPhone application in the first place, as well as providing the mapping in the backend.

More recently, though, Google launched a rival smartphone OS, as well as a desktop OS, and Apple also refused to allow Google to introduce its Latitude location-tracking app onto the iPhone, meaning Google had to create a web version of the app. Could this be the first steps of Apple going off on its own?

Or perhaps Apple just wants to introduce a mapping API in Cocoa that'll let developers do more with geolocation. Maybe it's no more complicated than Apple recruiting people with expertise in mapping with an eye on future projects.

Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Related links:

• News - CoPilot LIVE intros European maps for iPhone

Tags: Software Online Apple Placebase Google Maps Google iPhone

Apple quietly buys online mapping company Placebase originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:25:47 +0100

iPhone owners will be able to watch an season of live football matches for a one-off fee of less than a fiver.

The deal is thanks to a new app from Channel Five, that has the broadcast rights to the UEFA Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup.

The app will let UK iPhone and iPod touch owners watch all of Five's Thursday night matches as well as highlights from each round.

Quite literally kicking off with a match between Celtic and Rapid Vienna, the app will go on sale from the App Store for ?3.99.

"The app is attractively priced and means never having to miss a minute of live action when you're on the move", said Jonathan Lewis, the head of digital media at Five, to The Guardian.

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Related links:

• Link - Uefa

Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone apps Five Football Sports Fitness Uefa Europa League

Five offers iPhone app for live UEFA Europa League matches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:24:18 +0100

The most recent Apple tablet rumours to hit pegged the 9.6-inch device at $800 with a February launch.

Now iLounge's "reliable" Apple source - that correctly predicted the firth-gen nano and iPhone 3GS - has come up with fresh data.

According to iLounge, who dubs the device the "iPad", the latest version of three prototypes has a 10.7-inch screen, runs the iPhone OS and looks like a big iPhone 3G with a curved back.

The source suggests it will come in two versions - with and without 3G - but both models will get 480 x 320 pixel displays.

Fitting in with Apple's no-thanks stance on netbooks, iLounge says it is not meant as a netbook competitor but a media player with "light communications" abilities:

"It is designed to expand the iPhone and iPod touch media concept to its next potential level: as a slate-like replacement for books and magazines, plus all of the media, gaming, app, and web functionality of the iPhone and iPod touch", states the site.

Said to be awaiting "final green light" from Apple boss Steve jobs - with an estimated 80% chance of success - iLounge predicts a 19 January annoucement with some serious hype before a retail debut in the summer.

We will keep you posted.

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Related links:

• News - $800 9.6-inch Apple tablet to launch in February

Tags: Hardware Apple Rumours Tablet PCs PMPs iPhone iTablet iPad Apple tablet

Fresh Apple tablet rumours claim the iPad is due on 19 January originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:36:39 +0100

Griffin Technology has announced a new range of fashion cases for the iPhone 3G, the "Elan Form Etch range".

Every Etch case features a leather exterior bonded to a "near-indestructible" polycarbonate inner shell.

Designs include the checkerboard pattern of "Chess", the retro cassette design of "Rewind", as well as "Stars", tree-themed "Solstice", and the "405" apparently inspired by LA's Interstate 405.

With Griffin's EasyDock design, that allows the device to be docked whilst in the case, the new Etch case collection goes on sale in October 2009, priced at ?24.99.

Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone accessories Cases Griffin

Grifffin Elan Form Etch iPhone cases announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:39:08 +0100

Turns out that Vodafone will be getting their hands on the iPhone too. The company joins Orange, who recently announced that they'd be breaking O2's exclusive and also selling the device. A deal is understood to have been signed on the evening of 28 September.

The news was first rumoured by the Telegraph, but was confirmed to Pocket-lint by Vodafone's press office, who told us that the handset would be arriving in early 2010. Beginning today, Vodafone customers will be able to register their interest in the 3G and 3GS at vodafone.co.uk/iphone.

Vodafone's chief executive, Vittorio Colao, has said that the key reason why his company lost 160,000 subscribers in the last quarter was that he didn't have an iPhone to sell them. Vodafone's most juicy exclusive over the last year has been the Android-equipped HTC Magic.

Analysts suspect that more carriers offering the handset will lead to prices coming crashing down. Steven Hartley, analyst at technology research house Ovum, said: "There will be a price war. Research shows that in every country where there is more than one operator selling it, it is cheaper".

He expects the contracts to come down by about ?5 per month, shaving ?120 off the price of the handset when spread over a 2-year contract. The Telegraph also claims that Virgin Mobile are "desperate" to get their hands on the iPhone, too.

We'll keep you posted of pricing and contract details as soon as they're announced.

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Related links:

• News - iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK
• Via - the Telegraph

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Vodafone Orange O2 iPhone Apple Biz Rumours

iPhone coming to Vodafone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:09:21 +0100

Coming at you out of Melbourne, Oz, "Notepods" are notepads shaped like an iPhone, or iPod touch.

With the sell "App idea? There's a page for that", the Notepods have been created to help designers mock-up how iPhone apps will look, in an off-line kind of way.

That, or they could just be used by iFans - "perfect for notes or jotting down the phone number of a hot geek".

Measuring 60 x 110mm, the 100pp pads offer iPhone looks on one side and a grid on t'other. A three pack will set you back $17.95 in American money, via PayPal.

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Related links:

• Shop - Notepod

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Notepods iPhone apps Software

iPhone-shaped Notepods launch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:38:54 +0100

Spotify has submitted a revised version of its iPhone application to Apple which contains a few small updates. There's some bug fixes - Spotify says that the "general stability" of the app is improved - and there's also a couple of new features.

Firstly, the app will now pause when you take your headphones out - so if you accidentally jerk your buds out by mistake then you won't miss a second of music. Also, Spotify says the app will now work better on slower connections - useful if 3G coverage is a little patchy in your area.

It doesn't add the much-requested Last.fm scrobbling functionality, or the ability to see popularity of tracks or get access to the desktop version's radio function. Nor does it allow users to play music in the background - something that Apple has reserved for its own applications on the handset only.

As the app has only just been submitted, it should take a few weeks for it to appear on your handset, but sit tight - the company says " we wanted to let everyone know that it's on the way".

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Related links:

• News - Spotify App: iPhone versus Android
• Video - Spotify shows off S60 mobile app

Tags: Audio Online Software iPhone iPhone apps Spotify Mobile phone apps

Spotify iPhone app gets updated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:17:32 +0100

Apple has revealed that more than two billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store.

This follows on from the 1.5 billion mark hit in July this year, a year on from the App Store's launch.

Claiming the service is "the largest applications store in the world", there are now more than 85,000 apps available and over 125,000 developers in the iPhone Developer Program.

Those apps have been downloaded by Apple's more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide.

"The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone", said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.

"The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it".

Related links:

• News - iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK
• News - App Store downloads hit 1.5 billion

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple App Store iTunes Statistics iPod Touch Audio iPhone apps

App Store downloads top two billion originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:49:06 +0100

O2 has officially responded to the news that it has lost its exclusivity on the Apple iPhone in the UK.

Following the news that later this year Orange will get the iPhone, in a blog post O2 says: "We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success".

Revealing that it has "over one million iPhone customers" that "remain very important to us", perhaps as a dig towards Apple, O2 does make a point of mentioning it will soon be offering the rival Palm Pre.

"We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK", says the operator.

Whether that customer service will be enough to attract wannabe iPhone users if Orange undercuts O2 in pricing, only time will tell.

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Related links:

• News - iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK

Tags: Phones O2 Orange iPhone Apple Biz

O2 comments on losing iPhone exclusive originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:15:34 +0100

Orange has announced that the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be coming to customers in the UK before the end of 2009.

In a brief statement the company announced that it has reached an agreement with Apple to supply the iPhone through all its retail channels - high street shops, online and via its telesales operation.

Orange currently supply the iPhone in 28 territories, with O2 having had the UK exclusive since the iPhone's launch.

The end of O2's exclusive has been widely discussed recently however and with the network receiving plenty of customer criticism following repeated periods of data downtime, it is perhaps not surprising that Orange choose to point out that they have the largest 3G network in the UK.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but we don't think it will vary much from the premium level that the iPhone attracts on O2.

Interested customers can register their interest online, via the link below.

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Related links:

• Link - Register your interest
• News - O2 comments on losing iPhone exclusive
• News - iPhone coming to Vodafone

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone Apple Biz

iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:58:41 +0100