Apple May Put iPhone OS on Other Devices

Apple is showing its true mobile colors. The company is on the lookout for an engineer who can help get its mobile-phone software onto additional devices.

On Feb. 15, Apple (AAPL) posted an ad on its Web site for an engineering manager “to lead a team focused on bring-up of iPhone OS [operating system] on new platforms.” Days later, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook called the company “a mobile device company,” echoing remarks by Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who in January said “Apple is the largest mobile device company in the world.”

The posting and remarks underscore Apple’s growing reliance on devices that provide Web access and computing features for users on the go. In the three months ended Dec. 26, the iPhone and related products accounted for $5.58 billion, or 36% of total sales, up from 25% of revenue a year earlier. Apple also sells other mobile devices, including the iPod Touch.

An adaptation of the operating system used in Macintosh computers, the iPhone OS runs the iPhone, iPod Touch music player, and the forthcoming iPad tablet computer. In the future, analysts say, Apple may put the OS onto Web-connected TV machines and devices that help viewers watch 3D programming. The Cupertino (Calif.)-based company may also consider licensing the iPhone OS to outside cell-phone manufacturers. Apple has shipped more than 75 million devices based on the iPhone OS, which lets users download and run applications such as games and calendars sold at the Apple App Store. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined to comment.

Lenovo: Businesses don’t want tablet devices like the iPad

Lenovo recently released its latest tablet PC — the Thinkpad X201 — and with it came strong words against the iPad and the recent wave of similar “slate” tablet devices. As reported by CNET, Lenovo said that it’s not developing a slate device because it’s customers simply don’t want it.

Keyboards have long been a selling point for Lenovo’s computers (something it inherited from when IBM was still making Thinkpads). according to the company, it was the lack of keyboards that turned its customers off of slate tablets. Lenovo’s Thinkpad line is particularly popular among business users, and they likely weighed in heavily when the company was looking for feedback on slate tablets.

The X201 is a convertible tablet that can be switched from functioning as a typical laptop, to a screen-only tablet, by rotating the device’s screen. Before the hype that led up to the iPad (and inadvertently created the slate tablet segment), convertible devices like the X201 were what tech geeks thought of whenever they talked about tablet computing. While they found uses in certain scenarios (the healthcare industry jumped on Microsoft’s “Tablet PC” platform way back in 2003), convertible tablets were either too under-powered, or too expensive, to become mainstream hits.

Convertible tablet PCs also run full versions of Windows — unlike the stripped down iPhone OS that the iPad is running, or Google’s Android OS (which other tablet manufacturers are considering). This can be both good and bad. The good: Business users don’t have to learn anything new about the OS, and it can also run all of the software they’re familiar with. The bad: It forces convertible tablets to operate with standard computing paradigms — basically, its operating system simply isn’t optimized for the workflow of a tablet.

The X201 retails for $1200 — more than twice as much as the $500 low-end iPad. Android tablets are aiming for an even lower price range. Eventually, it will make sense for Lenovo to put out its own slate, no matter what some of its hardcore customers think. And as Stan mentions below in the comments, Lenovo is pretty much there already with its IdeaPad U1 hybrid smartbook.

For now, Lenovo customers get the best of both worlds with the X201. It runs Intel’s new low voltage Core i7 CPU, and comes standard with 4GB of RAM — so it’s definitely powerful. And unlike past convertible tablets, the X201 features a capacitive touch screen — which makes it very finger friendly, and ready to compete with multi-touch slate tablets.

Apple bans iPhone hackers from App Store

Apple has banned at least two prominent iPhone hackers from accessing its App Store.

Sherif Hashim, an iPhone developer who developed a hack for the latest iPhone OS 3.1.3, and iH8Sn0w, who developed the XEMN tool designed to unlock iPhone 3.1.3 radio baseband for the 3G and 3GS, found that their Apple IDs were blocked and accounts deactivated when they tried to access the app store of Monday. Their respective reactions can be found in Twitter posts here and here.

The move sparked concerns that Apple might ban all jailbroken iPhones was accessing the App Store. However, such a move would prevent Apple’s application developers from selling to the millions of users of jailbroken devices and would be especially bad politics following the launch of the Wholesale Applications Community at the Mobile World Congress conference earlier this week.

Apple has apparently limited itself to blocking exploit hunting hackers in a bid to frustrate the development of unlocking and jailbreaking tools that undermine its exclusive relationship with carriers and control over the delivery of apps. The move may also be aimed at piracy prevention as well as locking out, or at least frustrating, exploit creation and device hacking.

However, developers smart enough to figure out how to unlock iPhones are unlikely to be inconvenienced for too long by a ban on their current Apple IDs.

iPad Prices, Features and Tech Specs

Display

• 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
• 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Capacity

16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive

Processor

1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

Wireless and Cellular

Wi-Fi model

• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Wi-Fi + 3G model

• UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz)
• Data only
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Sensors

• Accelerometer
• Ambient light sensor

Size and weight

Location

• Wi-Fi
• Digital compass
• Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
• Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

Battery and Power

• Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
• Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
• Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Prices

Blackberry Storm 2 may hit Verizon stores in June.

As if June wasn’t packed enough with new smartphone launches, there are rumors that the RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 may just hit Verizon Wireless stores in the same month.

BlackberryOS.com says it received a tip from an “insider” (a senior-level Verizon employee, apparently) who says Verizon has been training its tech support on the Storm 2 all week and that they’ve been told to be ready to support the smartphone by the end of May. Though the tipster could not give a specific release date, she said it would be out by the end of June at the latest.

The next-generation Storm was confirmed by RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie in early May, though he did not provide much information about the device. There’s some speculation that the new Storm will forgo the SurePress touch screen and will have Wi-Fi.

Perhaps Verizon was feeling a little left out of the party with Sprint’s Palm Pre launch and the imminent iPhone announcement. And while hope springs eternal that the BlackBerry Storm 2 will be better than the first, what does this mean for current BlackBerry Storm customers?

Patented iPhone = Jailbroken iPhone?

Engadget let the world know thanks to a tipster that the gang over at Kramer, Levin Naftalis & Frankel – otherwise known as Apple Legal – have broken the law and could be sued by themselves on behalf of Apple. After all that is what Apple does to people who jailbreak their iPhones isn’t it?

As you can see from the patent diagrams; which would have been drawn up by the law firm as a part of apple’s patent application for biometric security, the diagram on the right is that of a jailbroken phone. It is complete with Installer app, SMBPrefs and the iWood Realize theme from the iSpazio repository.

About iPhone’s slowness again.

Apple’s facing new legal action over data speeds on the iPhone 3G. A man from New Jersey says the company isn’t living up to its promise of superfast surfing — and now, he’s demanding action. His lawsuit makes for more than half a dozen network-related complaints filed against Apple in America’s courts.

iPhone 3G Speed Suit

The new suit, naming both Apple and AT&T, accuses the companies of a slew of scary-sounding charges: negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, negligent misrepresentation, and violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. Whew…still with me?

Here’s what it all means: The guy says he can’t stay connected to the 3G network from his iPhone. The service is unreliable, he claims, and Apple misrepresented its “speed, strength, and performance.”

He doesn’t just want money, though: In addition to “compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages,” his lawsuit calls for both Apple and AT&T to modify their public statements about the iPhone’s capabilities within the 3G network.

Apple Under Fire

Apple should be used to this sort of stuff by now. Last summer, Great Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority forced Jobs and crew to pull an iPhone ad from the airwaves, stating that the spot “gave a misleading impression” of the phone’s actual ability. Since then, the U.S. courts have seen enough iPhone-related claims to make anyone feel a sense of déjà vu. Here’s a rap sheet of what’s happened over the past several months:

• February 2009: Two lawsuits say the “speed and infrastructure” of the 3G network aren’t great enough to support the devices. The suits, originating in Florida and Texas, use phrases like “negligent misrepresentation” and “breach of implied warranties.”

• November 2008: A lawsuit from San Jose says Apple misrepresented the speed of the iPhone 3G, going as far as to suggest the device was “rushed to market in a defective state.”

• November 2008: A separate case from New York accuses Apple of overloading the 3G network with more phones than it can handle. It also complains of “hairline cracks” in the iPhone’s casing.

• November 2008: Yet another case claims Apple engaged in false advertising by touting fast data speeds. This lawsuit, filed in San Diego, asks for changes to Apple and AT&T’s marketing tactics.

• August 2008: A suit in Alabama says dropped calls, connection trouble, and slow speeds make the iPhone far less useful than advertised. The case calls for class-action status, suggesting that “perhaps tens of thousands” of iPhone owners should be included.

by PC World

What the iPhone OS 3.0 Update Might Really Mean

File this under random musings du jour. All the fuss about Apple's forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 got me thinking. And in so thinking, I began to extrapolate. What if Apple is trying to beat Android to market with a mobile companion/Internet device/mini-notebook-like gadget?

We've already heard tale of Android migrating out of the smartphone handset and into other mobile internet devices. Asus has talked about having an Android-based version of its Eee PC netbook series, and Archos plans an Android-based Internet tablet; neither product is expected until late 2009. Lately, the rumor mill has been rife with speculation over a netbook-like device coming soon from Apple.

Enter Apple with its highly functional iPhone OS 3.0. Never mind the implied constrictions the name “iPhone OS” has attached to it; the possibilities are endless for a mobile gadget that could run this operating system software. If Apple can replicate its successful marriage of iPhone hardware with its software on other devices, it could easily quickly become a dominant force in portable hardware.

I'm imagining a device with Apple's usual attention to slick, eye-catching industrial design; a device that's easy-to-use; a device that can be equal parts media player extraordinaire, productivity companion (yes, that would require Apple finally adding support for cut-and-paste), Web device, and game machine. The applications for all of the above are there–and more certainly could come. And the interoperability and shared interface with the iPhone and iPod Touch could herald quite the little empire if Apple could get enough traction with its devices.

In my imagination, this device will one-up the Amazon Kindle 2 by becoming the next true, connected device– a device that has seamlessly integrated 3G connectivity. Perhaps a basic level connectivity comes included with the device (for example, Kindle 2 doesn't charge extra for its always-available connectivity; but, you're not downloading huge multimedia files and graphical Web pages on Kindle, either); or, you get a step-up plan that won't break the bank (as existing 3G data plans for notebooks do today).

If Apple were to take the step to bring iPhone OS to devices beyond the iPhone and iPod Touch, it wouldn't be the first time a mobile operating system jumped from handset to device. Ignoring, for a moment the talk of future Android-based devices, Microsoft paved the way for this path with its Windows CE operating system more than a decade ago. The trouble was, the Windows CE OS–a predecessor to what's now called Windows Mobile–just wasn't that easy to use. Nor were the devices. Apple's iPhone OS is already lightyears ahead of Windows CE in the usability department; and the device potential today is lightyears ahead, too.

iPhone version of iGoogle discontinued

Without warning, Google has quietly removed the iGoogle Web site formatted for the iPhone. The iPhone-formatted version of iGoogle now redirects users to the generic Google Web site formatted for mobile devices.

The version of the page that was unique to the iPhone, optimized for the Mobile Safari browser, and offered sections that were expandable or collapsible, used to display custom gadgets.

Despite the iGoogle move, the search giant appears to still be developing its Google applications for Apple's smartphone, including enhancements for voice searches, Google Earth exploration, and Google Maps directions and Street View.

Steve Jobs takes leave from Apple

We officially heard about the hormone imbalance earlier this month, but it seems the health issues concerning Steve Jobs are more serious than first thought, with the Apple boss now starting a leave of absence. The intention is to return in June. The full letter reads:

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple's day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve