To Hack Or Not To Hack

Gizmodo.com has an interesting article about the iPhone and hacking. Basically, they're mad as hell (and they're not going to take it anymore) about Apple disabling 3rd party programs. We basically agree. Every smart phone worth its weight in string-cheese has independent applications, so why can't the iPhone? And furthermore, if you're not gonna let us install applications on your Jesus Phone, the least you can do is offer to sell us a couple of games. This is getting ridiculous.

iPhone Update 1.1.1 Released

Earlier today, Apple realeased iPhone update 1.1.1 via iTunes. It is 150 Mbs and carries the following warning:

"If you have modified your iPhone's Software, applying this software update may result in your iPhone becoming permanently inoperable."

Apparently this update will destroy your iPhone if it is unlocked -- there are actually numerous 2nd-hand-reports of iPhones exploding when the update is applied, so be careful.

Here's a list of what's new:

- iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
- Louder speakerphone and receiver volume
- Home Button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls
- Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space
- Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape
- Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be re-ordered
- Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar
- Support for TV Out
- Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
- New Passcode lock time intervals
- Adjustable alert volume

Update #1: Apparently, your iPhone won't explode if you have 3rd party applications installed, but this update will not allow you to use them anymore. So if you really love the just-okay NES emulator, don't install this update until the hackers hack it. If you do decided to install this update, you will be forced to do a full restore, which will erase any photos you have not downloaded, so be sure to download photos and sync before updating.

Update #2: Apple has posted a video tour of all the new features that will be added to your iPhone when you update to firmware 1.1.1

The Secret To iPhone Self-Portraits

Because the shutter release for the iPhone's camera is an on-screen button, it's always been a pain in the ass to take a self-portrait. Until now.

Here's the trick: The iPhone's camera shutter works very much like the keyboard, in that it does not activate until the moment you lift your finger off of the button. This means you can put your finger on the shutter button, turn the iPhone around and point it at yourself, and when you think you have your smile just right, lift your finger, at which point your iPhone will instantly take a perfect picture. (This assumes you're perfect--but, as everyone knows, if you own an iPhone, you're already pretty close to perfect.)

This little diddy is also helpful in tricky situations where the iPhone's auto-iris is having trouble locking onto the correct exposure, or when you are dealing with spastic subjects, like kids or belly-dancers with cerebral palsy.

Unlocking Will Break Your Phone

Apple has announced that the next iPhone update will permanently disable any iPhone which has been 'Unlocked.' This means if your phone is unlocked and you install the update, you'll be the proud owner of a $600.00 paper-weight.

FYI: Unlocking is very different than Hacking. If you are legally on the AT&T network and you have simply hacked your iPhone to include 3rd part applications, your phone should not be damaged (you will have to restore and re- installl your apps, which is no big deal.) Just to be sure, if you have hacked your phone, we recommend letting other guinea pigs test the new firmware. When the update is released later this week, we'll force a couple of our interns to be guinea pigs, so check back regularly.

Tivo For iPhone (Almost)

EyeTV from Elgato.com now offers WiFi Video Streaming for the iPhone and iTouch. EyeTV is basically Tivo for the Mac, so now you can record shows and watch them on your iPhone without having to sync them with iTunes. Pretty cool.

Death Star Plans Uncovered

Several iPhonePOV spies gave their lives for these plans, so pay attention:

A major update to the iPhone is in the works and will be released shortly after Leopard ships in October. It seems a number of awesome features that were planned for the iPhone from the get-go were delayed when the release of Leopard was pushed back.

Here's a taste of what's to come:

* iChat
* Disk Mode -- for storing files on the go
* File Browser -- This will be just like Leopard (coverflow file browsing, etc.)
* Spotlight searching for all contacts and files
* Widescreen keyboard support in all applications
* Select, copy and paste
* Add mail accounts directly from the iPhone (like a Blackberry)
* Real applications (not just web-based apps)
* .Mac syncing directly from the iPhone
* Software stabilization for the camera
* Flash support in Safari

Most, if not all of these things will be on your iPhone before the holidays.

While a lot of these updates may sound far fetched, they make perfect sence when you consider how much emphasis was placed on the fact that the iPhone runs on OSX. As OSX is updated, new features will trickle down to the iPhone.

Here's a tidbit for thought: If the iPhone is OSX based, isn't it possible that some day Apple will charge for major system updates? They currently charge $129 for a major desktop system upgrade... how much would you be willing to pay for a major iPhone system upgrade. (Before you Poo-Poo this idea, remember Apple didn't charge for .Mac until a year after it was released.)

iPhone Update

Some of the crafty spies at Engadget.com managed to capture some hands-on images of an iPhone running firmware version 1.1.1 at the UK iPhone Launch.

It appears the iPhone's British Twin has a couple of features that haven't yet made into U.S Phones.

• Home Button Preference -- When the home button is pushed twice you can trigger 3 different actions, as well as bring up music controls when the iPod is active. This will allow one to make a phone call with just a couple of button pushes. This is the cream jeans.

• Video Out. Hmm... this is really cool. A lot of people moaned about the lack of video out when the iPhone was released, so now they can stop moaning (maybe.) Is this video out capability like the old iPod (gen5) that worked on any iPod doc, or like the current iTouch and FatPod Nanos which will only output video on a special dock licensed by Apple? If the latter is true, all the current iPod video devices you own will not work with the iPhone, which we think is tres Boo-Hoo.

So, will these changes come to the 1 million US iPhones already in circulation? Yes, they will. Probably in early November when the British iPhone is released.

UK iPhone Launched

As expected, The Jobster announced the release of the iPhone in the United Kingdom. The UK iPhone is the same as the US iPhone (8gb, GSM, Wifi and EDGE (NO 3G)) and will be available November 9th.

According to some insiders, EDGE coverage across the UK is sketchy at best, so O2 (iPhone's UK provider) is partnering with a company called The Cloud to install 7500 free WiFi access points throughout The Island.

A few of the senior editors at iPhonePOV are very surprised Mr. J decided to release the EDGE version of the iPhone in the UK. Most mobile phones, and nearly all smart phones released in the UK and Europe are 3G. Apple's decision to release a 2.5G product could significantly hurt sales, at least until the release of the 3G iPhone which is now rumored to arrive in Q1 2008 (for non-business people, Q1 means the first three months of the year.)

$100 iPology Now Availble

Apple has posted a rebate-how-to for early iPhone buyers (before August 22.) It's an easy process that results in an instant electronic Apple Store credit. Incidentally, you do not need a store receipt, all you need is an active iPhone and an internet connection.

NOTE #1: If you look closely at the graphics on Apple's Refund page, you'll notice the pictured iPhone is running firmware version 1.1.1 -- The current iPhone firmware is 1.0.2, so it's safe to assume an update is imminent. You might also notice that there is a new setting for the 'Home Button.' We assume this new setting will allow users to access playback controls just like the iPod Touch. (We hope it will allow the Home button to be customized -- for our money, we'd be tickled pink if you could push the home button twice to instantly bring up the phone application.

Apple Announcement September 18th

Apple sent a cryptic invitation, entitled 'Mum is no longer the word" to the UK Media announcing a special Apple Event in London on September 18th. SJ promised the iPhone would be available in Europe before the end of year, so we're betting this UK meeting is about the iPhone. Will it be 3g? (A birdie told us yes!--but you know how birdies lie!)

iPhone Hacking 2 (Electric Boogaloo)

Every day we get dozens of emails asking 'How do I hack my iPhone?' We also get about 4 emails a day asking, 'Why should I hack my iPhone?' If you've sent one of those emails, or were about to send one of those emails, or just read this and thought 'I wonder who's sending all those emails?' we suggest you head over to Macworld's excellent article about the current state of iPhone hacking.

They show you how to do it (it's super easy.) And they even show (semi-review) some of the cool little programs which can be added to a hacked iPhone. (The NES emulator is our favorite--can you say Tetris on the iPhone?)

It's a good read and worth the time if you have any interest in making your iPhone do the kinda things every other cell phone in the world can do... like play a game.

Free Software iPhone Unlock

This means AT&T is no longer the exclusive carrier for the iPhone. If you're in Europe or dying to use your iPhone on T-Mobile's American GSM network, this is good news. For a simple application that does all the the dirty-work, check out freeiphoneunlock.com

NOTE #1: Even though the program at the above link will do all the work for you, this is still very much hacker-territory--If something goes wrong, blame yourself.

NOTE #2: There is no reason to do this if you live in America and your iPhone is already on the AT&T network. (unless you'd like to travel to Europe and insert a different sim card to avoid ATT's crazy international roaming charges.

Add Free Ringtones With iTunes

Rogueamoeba.com has posted a free MakeiPhoneRingtone tool for download. It allows you to add a custom ring tones to your iPhone with iTunes. This means you can annoy all the people around you every time your iPhone rings, without the hassle of hacking your iPhone.

3G iPhone In November

Gizmodo.com has published a somewhat credible rumor (in the form of a believable advertisement) for a 3G version (HSDPA) of the Apple iPhone which may (or may not) be released in Europe on November 12th. An iPhone with this capability (3.6 mb download) would be roughly 10 times faster at surfing the web than the current EDGE based iPhone.

An advance in iPhone technology is inevitable, the only question is when it will occur. Last week, we would have dismissed the rumored release of this faster iPhone as wild conjecture, but after Apple's $200 price reduction debacle, it seems rather believable, after all, it is very common for electronics manufacturers to reduce the price of a current product right before a new and better version is released.

Steve Does (half) The Right Thing

A little birdie told us that 'The Steve" was cruising the latest iPhone news on iPhonePOV.com and came across a story where one of our more vitriolic editors suggested he "choke" on the $200 bucks we gave him for 66 days of early iPhone use.

He felt so bad about this particular sentiment that he decided to refund $100 bucks (in the form of Apple Store credit) to everyone that purchased an iPhone for $200 above retail.

Well, we here at iPhonePOV only have one thing to say: What about the other $100 bucks?

Here's an open letter from 'The Steve' that explains why he originally thought it was a good idea to fleece us out of $200 bucks.

iPhone and iPod Touch Differences

Here's a quick rundown of the differences:

• iTouch has no email client
• iTouch has no Google maps application
  
• iTouch has no Stocks or Weather application
• iTouch has no Bluetooth
• iTouch has different graphics on the dock
• When iTouch is sleeping, you can tap the home button twice to bring up playback controls. (Not on iPhone)
• iTouch has separate video and music applications
• iTouch does not have an external speaker
• iTouch headphone jack is on its butt.
• iTouch does not have a microphone

So, yes, there are a few differences, but since they both run on OSX and their common applications are identical (like Safari and Youtube), it is safe to assume any and all software differences (like lack of email) will be added to the iTouch with soon to be released hacks.

Apple Screws iPhone Owners

Apple announced a $200.00 price cut for the 8GB iPhone. The 4GB version has been discontinued.

This is great news if you don't already own an iPhone.

If you do own an iPhone, you probably feel stupid for paying an extra 200 bucks just to get your iPhone 66 days before the real price was announced. Thanks, Steve, we hope you choke on our 200 bucks. (Well, maybe not choke, but a good cough would make us feel better.)

If you bought your iPhone with a credit card that offers a price guarantee, now would be a good time to call your credit card company.

UPDATE 1: Apple grants a fortnight for refunds. Apple's official return policy states that "...customers who made their purchases within the last 10 days can get $200 back, so long as they contact Apple within 14 business days of when their iPhone first shipped."

All iPhone News Has Stopped...

The intricate world of iPhone espionage has come to a (virtual) stand-still as we all wait with bated breath for new announcements from 'The Steve' tomorrow at 10:00 AM, PST. Most rumors point to new iPods and possibly new software for the iPhone. Who knows, maybe we'll finally get a friggin' game for the iPhone. Either way, four of iPhonePOV's top editors will be at the press conference, so we'll get you the news as soon as it's news.

If you simply must know the latest rumors, here's a roundup of the droppings Stevie might squeeze out tomorrow.