The iPod Nation

A Norwegian developer was able to run Windows Mobile on an iPhone. For whatever reason he thought this was a good idea. The video shows the iPhone turning on and the OS booting but not much else. We’ll see just how real this is in the future, we’re still wondering why anyone would do this.

-Ray

[Source: gizmodo]

Pragmatic Studio will be offering a 4-day training course for would be iPhone app developers. The event will go from November 10-13 at the Inverness Hotel and conference Center in Denver Colorado. The cost for the developers workshop will be $1595 for alumni and for groups of 5 or more $1895 for those who register before October 20th. If you register after it will cost you $2195.
The following topics that will be covered at the event include:

* Xcode and Interface Builder: How to design iPhone interfaces visually in Interface Builder, connect everything in Nib files, and write and build code in Xcode.
* The Libraries: From UI Kit to Core Animation, learn how to use the libraries to build applications that look and function like some of the apps already on your iPhone.
* Table Views: Table views are central to many iPhone applications, such as the contact manager. Learn how to nest tables with navigation controllers and edit on a table view.
* User Input: Every good iPhone application needs to get input from the user. We’ll show you how to design and handle input for an ideal user experience.
* Organization and Navigation: You’ll learn to use Navigation Bars and Tabs to make it easier for users to know where they are and what they can do next.
* Network and Communication: Get connected and share information with devices near and far.
* Persistence: We’ll show you how to use SQLite, the iPhone file system, and preferences to preserve data between application instances.
* Performance and Debugging: You’ll learn the power tools, including Instruments and gdb, to help make your application sing.
* Other Cool Stuff: Learn how to set your application apart from the crowd by adding features that use Core Animation, Core Location, the Accelerometer, and so on.
* And Much More!… practical tips, tricks, and techniques used by the experts to work efficiently and build full-featured iPhone applications

-Ray

[Source: iphonealley]

Big Nerd Ranch Europe is planning to hold a week-long iPhone Bootcamp for developers in Frankfurt, Germany. The bootcamp runs from December 8 - 12, 2008. The iPhone Bootcamp features Mac developer and instructor Alexander von Below. Attendees do not need any previous experience in coding Objective-C, coding for the Mac or coding for the iPhone. They should be familiar with C and object-oriented languages such as Java or C++ however. The class is said to cost $3905 and includes all materials, a luxury room, all meals, a shirt and transportation from the airport. No flat tops required.

-Ray

[Source: macworld]

It was announced that Adobe Flash will be coming to the iPhone according to Adobe Systems. It’s up to Apple to determine when it will be implemented however. Also announced is that Flash will be a closed platform but we should see a Flash player soon. This will mean that websites designed in Flash will be available for viewing on the iPhone. This has been one of the biggest complaints regarding what the device lacks. Since most mobile phones do not have very speedy processors, Flash may really bog down the iPhone’s performance. But, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it handles with some of the more Flash-intensive sites out there.

-Ray

[Source: topiphonenews]

AT&T has been the sole provider of the popular iPhone in the United States, word on the street is that Verizon will be the next carrier for the iPhone in 2009. The iPhone will be available for Verizon’s EVDO service. Here is a list as to why Apple should break away and offer the iPhone to more carriers:

1. Apple has been scouting out EVDO and CDMA Engineers for months in their online iPhone job postings (here, here, here and here). Yes, some of these skills overlap with UTMS and CDMA can also refer to the broad swath of 3G Technologies…but come on…don’t put “EVDO” on the job description if it ain’t true.. (BTW, WiMax is also littered throughout Apple’s Job postings…interesting/digress)

2. No matter how big AT&T is and how much range they cover, leaving out Verizon and to a lesser extent Sprint, will be eliminating a broad swath of the US wireless market. If Apple is serious about competing with Blackberry, Symbian and Android, they will have to broaden their carrier footprint. One carrier does not a platform make. Apple will need a way to grow its market after AT&T is saturated.

3. LTE technology won’t be mature until well into 2010. Apple can’t afford to wait that long to broaden its carrier footprint

4. Who is happy with Rogers in Canada (*crickets*)? EVDO opens up to new carriers there as well.

5. Verizon wireless is a partnership between Verizon communications and Vodafone. Vodafone, you’ll recall, has contracts with Apple for iPhones in around 15 markets around the world. Apple has a working relationship with Vodafone (and Tmobile obviously).

6. Apple has just started going “Open” in a few markets, including Hong Kong. This will likely increase the number of unlocked 3G iPhones on the world market (South Africa is also open). While this won’t benefit Verizon directly, it certainly shows that Apple is considering being more “carrier agnostic.”

7. Tim Cook, famously said that Apple wasn’t married to the one carrier/country model. As Apple expands, it is going more and more open.

8. Verizon’s iPhone Cheat sheet was weak and their arguments about Stevo getting old were silly. They’d rather play ball with Apple than try to defend itself against it.

9. Apple originally wanted to go with Verizon for the iPhone. Some of the original disagreements included “not carrying the iPhone at Best Buy and hardware reliability” - see quote below. AT&T was a second choice. When Verizon balked, Apple went to AT&T…Think Verizon is happy about that decision (no) or willing to reconsider Apple’s overtures (yes)?

-Ray

[Source: TopiPhoneNews]

It’s said that China will soon get the official iPhone, but a much stripped down version then the version the rest of the world gets. It has been reported in Chinese newspapers that a manufacturer in China will be producing the iPhone without the 3G connection or Wi-Fi and is waiting on approval from China Mobile. The stripped down version is said to be demanded by state-owned China Mobile who wants to push the Chinese government’s TDSCDMA instead of 3G made by the West. Some are saying that Apple shouldn’t have to customize their iPhone just for one market, but it’s a very large market. China Mobile is said to have 415 million customers, I doubt Apple would pass on an opportunity like that. Communism, you gotta love it!

-Ray

[Source: electronista]

Apple recently introduced a new purchasing plan for their iPhone 3Gs that are made to save customers time when they go to their local Apple Store. While it still doesn’t let you order the iPhone 3G online and have it shipped to your house, it does let you do a good chunk the phone buying at phone. You can now fill out a form with all your details, pick the plan you want and get all the other things out of the way before you get to the store. The forms allow you to create a new account or add new phones to an account you already have or replace an old iPhone. Choose the store you want to pick it up at and then you’re all set with no lines to wait in.

-Ray

[Source: iphonenews]

A user on Macenstein found out something interesting, that a jailbroken iPhone 2G had better Wi-Fi reception than his non Jailbroken iPhone 3G. The user who found this out says below:

So, does Jailbreaking improve Wi-Fi reception, or does the iPod touch just have a MUCH better Wi-Fi antennae than the iPhone? That is the question posed by faithful Macenstein reader Brian:

“I was visiting family last weekend and my wife’s cousin pulled out his jailbroken first gen iPod Touch to show me the apps he had installed. I had my 3G iphone with me and when we both went to connect to wireless we discovered a huge difference between the two devices.

As you can see in the photo his iPod found about 10 networks in the building (more are off-screen) while my iPhone only found 2.

What do you think?”

-Ray

[Source: macenstein]

The iPhone is a popular way to play games on the go, and like other gaming platforms it has cheats. Game developers found a new way to use these cheats, with the iPhones accelerometer. A Macenstein user has found a cheat for the game Imagine Poker that will let you start on any round you like. Here is how to take advantage of this cool new cheat.

Step 1: Make sure the iPhone’s time is on the quarter hour as described above. Launch the app.

Step 2: On the opening splash screen, shake the device until you hear a giggle,. This will invoke the “Polaroid Cheat” that lets you start on any round in the game you like.

Step 3: Choose your round. Enjoy!

-Ray

[Source: macenstein]

The iPhone 3G has been a hit in almost every market it was sold in, since its introduction it has been flying off the shelves. Not it’s estimated that Apple will ship about 5 million iPhone 3Gs in Q4 alone ending on September 30th. This will make 7.4 million iPhones sold before the holiday shopping season. Apple only has to sell 2.6 million more iPhones to reach their goal of 10 million by the end of the year and at the rate they’re selling now it’s definitely a possibility.

-Ray

[Source: topiphonenews]