White House Announces iPhone Application

Timed for the State of the Union speech next week, TheWhiteHouse is a free application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch that lets users stream video, browse photos, and read text from President Barack Obama’s White House.

According to the White House blog, this is just the first step for the WhiteHouse.gov mobile platform. “In the coming weeks, we’ll also launch mobile.WhiteHouse.gov, a mobile-ready version of WhiteHouse.gov that is optimized for any internet-enabled mobile device, including many other phones,” the blog entry said.

Itunes Link

Analyst: Apple considering iPhone tie with Verizon

Bloomberg News is reporting that Apple Inc. may offer an iPhone through Verizon Wireless this year. The story is based on comments from an analyst with Canaccord Adams.

According to the Bloomberg story, the phone would be introduced by Verizon in June, analyst Peter Misek said in a note to investors. A newer iPhone, running on fourth-generation network technology, which makes Web browsing and downloads faster, may come in 2011, he said.

Expanding the reach of a phone now available exclusively through AT&T Inc. will contribute to 37 million iPhones sold this year, up from an estimated 27 million in 2009, Misek said. The device is the second most popular phone among U.S. consumers, after Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry Curve, and helped AT&T add about 2 million wireless customers in the third quarter.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris didn’t immediately return a call and e-mail seeking comment before regular business hours. Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney declined to comment.

GTA. Grand Theft Auto. On the iPhone.

Grand Theft Auto, the pedestrian-punching, car-stealing, ho-beating video game, has arrived – cursing and swearing like a dock-worker with Tourette’s – on the iPhone.

The GTA franchise is best known, perhaps, for scandal and controversy. The infamous “Hot Coffee Mod”, for instance, saw the game enter a rather adult realm. But behind the whines of the do-gooder public moralists hides an excellent set of games, and at first look, GTA Chinatown Wars lives up to the reputation.

Chinatown Wars is pretty much a straight port of the Nintendo DS Lite version and, despite having had to pass the prudish App Store censors, survives with all of its gameplay (and f-bombs) intact. I had a quick play with it in bed this morning and I love it (and I’m no gamer). The controls consist of an on-screen virtual joystick, which works by moving a thumb around in the bottom left corner. The buttons for kick, punch and so on are also virtual, and while the joystick works great, the “buttons” are easier to miss in a panic. The DS’ mini-games also make it in, as the consoles share a touch-screen. You can break into a car by hitting the screen and start it by twisting a screwdriver in the ignition. Neat.

The animation is incredible, especially considering it is happening on an iPod. For those who haven’t seen the DS version, Chinatown Wars is a hybrid of the original top-down GTA and the full 3D environments of the console games: a camera flies above you and swoops around to follow the action. Ignore the jagged lines on the screenshot – you don’t see those in the game.

Chinatown Wars is $10. That’s a lot by App Store standards, but half the price of the DS cart. Watch out Nintendo.

AT&T will finally provide MMS for iPhone on September 25.

AT&T said it would finally be providing iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS customers with multimedia messaging capabilities via a software upgrade Sept. 25.

The MMS capabilities were one of the most-heralded features of the iPhone 3.0 software because it plugged a nagging hole in Apple’s mobile platform. Rivals like Research In Motion (NSDQ: RIMM)’s BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and many entry-level phones have been able to send MMS messages for years.

AT&T didn’t offer this messaging capability when the 3.0 software was released in June because it wanted to ensure its network could adequately handle the traffic. This has garnered ill feelings from some iPhone owners, as well as a class-action lawsuit that alleges the second-largest U.S. carrier misrepresented the iPhone’s capabilities.

“The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone’s multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from day one,” AT&T said in a statement. “We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end.”

While AT&T technically will miss their “end of summer” deadline by a few days, the move may help it squash growing complaints about the carrier’s quality of service from a small, but vocal, group of iPhone owners. AT&T has been investing heavily to improve its 3G network, and it is also deploying 850-MHz spectrum to improve coverage in major metropolitan areas. Improvements in service could help AT&T retain iPhone subscribers even after it loses exclusivity of Apple’s popular smartphone.

The Sept. 25 software update will be available through iTunes, and it will not be available for the iPod Touch or the original iPhone. The carrier also said it would be offering tethering in the future, but did not get into specifics about the launch date or pricing.

Apple Mac Tablet unveiling in September, Available in November for $699-$799

It seems that soon Apple will release the most anticipated thing after their iPhone – Apple Tablet. Unnamed source says that one of factories in China has recently started the production.

iPhone Dev Team Releases 3GS Jailbreak

The iPhone Dev Team has released their much anticipated iPhone 3GS jailbreak and unlock set. Last week we reported on George Hotz, the teenage hacker, who released a Windows only version of the jailbreak which could then be used to run the ultrasn0w unlock. Then he released a Mac version over the weekend. Now the Dev Team has fixed their own version, redsn0w, to work with the iPhone 3GS under Windows and OS X.

The iPhone Dev Team jailbreak isn’t much different then Hotz’s version – besides the point that the iPhone Dev Team released it. The Dev Team is a group of hackers dedicated to unlocking the iPhone and exposing all of its wonderful mysteries. They write:

Last night we released updated versions of our redsn0w jailbreak and ultrasn0w carrier unlock. These versions are now compatible with the iPhone 3GS running at 3.0. Welcome aboard, 3GS owners! (The tools of course remain compatible with all of the other platforms too.) Also last night, saurik released 3GS-compatible versions of MobileSubstrate and WinterBoard, components that enable many different add-ons and themes.

The 3GS jailbreak uses the same procedure as the iPhone 3G unlock process but was not deemed ready for release by the Dev Team until today. The Dev Team in a blog post also mentions that if you have the correct personalized (signed) dfu/img3 files, then you’ll always be able to jailbreak, even if you install Apple’s firmware update. This means you’ll be safe to upgrade over the next few software iterations but if you intend to unlock your iPhone 3GS permanently you must watch the Dev Team site for discussion on the baseband upgrades that Apple might release in the future. If you upgrade the baseband you could fry your iPhone or lock out future unlocks.

Above is a video demonstrating the Dev Team jailbreak process.

iPhone 3GS is a metal detector.

On the beach with your family, or just walking around town? You probably could use some extra cash. Whip out that iPhone 3GS and see if you can track down some metal.

With this handy little app released by GP Imports, 3GS owners can use the phone’s internal compass to sense strong magnetic fields (other than the north pole), thus pointing to metals. The app allows you to see how strong a magnetic field actually is and adjust the sensitivity of your detector, so you won’t get stuck digging for mere chump change.

The app costs $0.99 and is available for download at the iTunes Store.

iPhone 3GS Jailbreak is called Purplera1n!

Just as America gears up to celebrate Independence Day comes news that iPhone 3GS owners are getting some freedom of their own.

George Hotz, who you may recall as the teenage hacker who originally unlocked the iPhone, has let loose a jailbreaking app for the iPhone 3GS code-named purplera1n. It enables the installation of third-party software not approved for Apple’s App Store.

For now, purplera1n is Windows-only (but not Windows 7) and requires the latest iTunes installed, as well as an iPhone 3GS with the 3.0 firmware. In a Friday blog post titled “I make it ra1n,” Hotz says a Mac version is “coming shortly.”

Hotz notes that he normally doesn’t make tools for the general public and would rather wait for the iPhone dev team to do that.

“But guys, what’s up with waiting until 3.1? That isn’t how the game is played,” he chides on his blog. “We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn’t worth waiting because you might have the ‘last’ hole in the iPhone. What last hole…this isn’t golf. I’ll find a new one next week.

John Biggs over at CrunchGear is among those who have already given purplera1n a go and declares the jailbreaking process “amazingly simple.”

Why do we get the sense jailbreaking is going to be part of a whole lot of Fourth of July agendas? But take note: Hotz does caution that purplera1n is in beta and suggests backing up your data before running the app.

iPhone OS 3.0 to feature voice control and feedback

Sources speaking to Ars have discovered evidence of new voice control features coming to iPhone OS 3.0. Apparently going by the code name “Jibbler,” it looks like it will provide not just voice synthesis, but also voice recognition for the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0.

Not much information is known at this time, but according to our own people familiar with the matter, Jibbler appears be an enhancement to the iPhone SpringBoard application, the Finder-esque app that acts as a launcher and will support the newly announced 3.0 Spotlight search. Jibbler may be controlled via the iPhone headset—button squeezes could be used to record short voice segments from the user, which Jibbler will then interpret. Voice synthesis can then be used to give the user a response, similar to the latest generation iPod shuffle, which can “read” playlists and track names—the difference being that the iPhone hardware itself could handle real-time voice synthesis.

Our sources turned up references to classes and methods named VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion. SB refers to SpringBoard, and VS likely refers to Voice Services. The separate Voice Services classes leave open the possibility that Apple may eventually allow access to these services via the official SDK. There’s no indication whether these voice features will be tied to newer hardware expected this summer or if the features will be compatible with existing iPhone hardware.

Besides the coolness factor that the voice control features add to the iPhone, they also bring the promise of voice-controlled dialing, a feature that other phones have had for some time. Also, it could aid in hands-free operation for safety in certain situations, like driving, and act as an assistive user interface method for those with some sight impairments.

by arstechnica.com

iProd = iTrainer?

THE makers of the iPod are working on a digital personal trainer that can measure a user’s heart rate, recommend an exercise regime and even design a healthy meal.

The device being developed by Apple, nicknamed the iProd, combines the internet technology of the iPod with a series of body sensors and specially designed software.

The nickname comes from a feature by which the machine reprimands the user if they fail to finish an exercise routine.

The California-based firm has lodged a series of designs for the machine, provisionally named the lifestyle companion system, at the US patent office in Washington.

While previous generations followed workouts conducted by celebrities ranging from Jane Fonda to Davina McCall, the hi-tech approach to personal fitness is part of a trend which has seen the console generation turn away from gyms and embrace the possibilities of combining exercise with playing computer games.

The latest Nintendo game, the Wii Fit, senses your performance and unlocks more games the better you do.

Apple’s machine is the logical next step to combine the internet with medical knowledge and fitness technology. Many gym machines include heart monitors so users can check their health while exercising.

The invention is already being discussed on the internet. One member on the Apple Insider forum wrote: “Most [people] are too self-conscious or too financially strapped to have a personal trainer. This will take care of both issues.” The system’s software asks a series of detailed questions to ascertain the user’s fitness goals, health, job, relationship, diet, spirituality and other aspects of their life affecting physical wellbeing.

The software then suggests workouts, diets and health advice, even restaurants suited to the user’s health profile.

The device may eventually be equipped with movement detectors and heart rate monitors and be linked to a patient’s doctor or to other users, enabling group workouts.

Apple declined to comment.

this was published by Times Online almost a year ago