Apple

App Store to Get $19.99 Premium Games Section

Don't you love rumors? Well, here is a new one for you, and I think it is more than a simple rumor. Apple is supposedly considering creating a $19.99 section in the App Store for "premium games". According to PocketGamer, "it's thought only a relatively small number of publishers would be partners in the new section, although in fairness, relatively few are currently geared up to create games with $19.99 production values."

If you think about it, it totally makes sense that Apple would want to create such a section in the App Store. Apple is not hiding its ambitions of having the iPhone and iPod Touch take over what your Nintendo DS or Sony PSP are doing, namely, be a kick ass portable gaming console.

Mike at TUAW says that "it's an interesting idea, and actually, though obviously it would cost consumers more, the bottom line in the App Store has always been worth, not price -- there are currently premium games being sold on services like Xbox Live and the Wii's Virtual Console for $20, and gamers are willing to pay, as long as they get the bang for the buck that they expect."

I'm not a gamer at all so, as far as I'm concerned, I couldn't care less, but I think it's very interesting to see where Apple is heading to. You gotta love Apple business model!

New Apple iPhone Commercial “Read”

Apple has a new ad airing on TV called "Read". They use the same format/structure as usual, which makes this ad not really interesting. The moral of this ad? There is an app for everything!

Watch the video below and tell us what you think in the comments.

FreeYourPhone.org Petition To Make Unlocking, Jailbreaking Exempt From DMCA

Jailbreakers and unlockers unite! Now is the time to get heard and do something against to make jailbreaking and unlocking legal. Yes, in case you didn't know, jailbreaking your iPhone is technically illegal. If you're like me, you're probably thinking something alon these lines: "fuck that! I paid for this phone so I should be able to do whatever I want with it". Truth is you legally can't!

The Electronic Frontier Foundation created FreeYourPhone.org in order to collect signature from people like us to appeal to the Copyright Office:

Hundreds of thousands of cellphone owners have modified their phones to connect to the network or run the software of their choosing, and many more would like to. But the Digital Millennium Copyright Act poses a legal threat to phone users, even though the law was supposed to protect copyright owners and distributors of digital music and movies. This threat of litigation has driven consumers underground, stifling innovation and competition.

Now, you can support EFF's request that the Copyright Office grant an exemption to the DMCA that will protect phone users.

After submitting your electronic signature,

Steve Jobs Takes A Six Months Leave Of Absence From Apple

Following his message telling he was feeling better a couple of weeks ago, it appears that Steve Jobs doesn't feel as good as he wants his stockholders to think...

Steve sent this email to Apple's employees today:

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

Still the same question lingering in my head... Why? Why does Steve keep pretending everything is going to be fine. Steve is dying and it is time to choose a new CEO. Apple needs a smooth CEO transition and now is your last chance, Steve. Tim Cook is obviously the top contender and most competent possible replacement.

Is Apple Becoming NOT completely Stupid About The App Store Policy?

The title of this post is a rhetorical question. The answer being quite obvious as Apple has started to approve 3rd party web browsing applications.

Within the last day, the App Store has seen the additions of at least 4 web browsers, priced from free to $2. Each browser has it's own little feature:

- Edge Browser (Free) - No navigation bars. - Incognito ($1.99) - Browse without leaving web history. - WebMate:Tabbed Browser ($0.99) - Queue up all the links you click on, then view them one by one when you're ready. - Shaking Web ($1.99) - A sophisticated algorithm to compensate for small hand shaking to allow for easier reading.

According to MacRumors:

This could open the door for mobile versions of prominent web browsers such as Opera and Firefox, though there remain other SDK restrictions that could prevent full-featured versions of those browsers from appearing. Still, Apple appears to be loosening some early restrictions they had applied to the App Store approval process.

iPhone Nano Rumor: My Take On It

If you've read the Apple-related news within the last few days, you must have heard the latest rumor about an iPhone Nano coming out in June. The rumor also says that the iPhone Nano will be available in China first, and then will come to the US.

I predict that the iPhone Nano will be announced this year at Apple's WorldWide Developers Conference in June. I also predict that the iPhone Nano will be available in the US the month following the announcement (July).

The more I think about it, the less it makes sense that Apple would launch a product in a foreign country first, especially in China.

As usual, I would love to read your thoughts on this so please feel free to leave a comment!

Steve Is Doing Good… And Peace In The World Is For Tomorrow…

Contrarily to what I reported last week about Steve Jobs health, our good old Steve-o seems to be doing ok, according to a note he sent to the WSJ. Well people, don't get duped by this piece of PR. It is clear that Steve Jobs is sick and Apple is lying to all of us, most likely to protect the value of its stock.

One thing though. Steve will not be able to lie forever, and when he does pass away, I am pretty sure the stock will hurt even more than it would if he told us right now that he is indeed sick. Why doesn't he slowly but surely prepare the stockholders to see him step down from its CEO position like Bill Gates did at MicroSoft. It took Gates a few years to step down but it was done so smoothly that MS stock didn't suffer at all.

Anyways, here is a copy of the note Steve wrote to the WSJ:

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause — a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

I suggest you check out CrunchGear's post about it because it's full of good insight.

What do you think of all this?

Is Apple Looking To Patent An iPhone-Friendly Glove?

Because the iPhone uses capacitive touchscreens, it may be difficult or impossible for the electrical signals from a person's fingers to pass through glove fabric. I don't have this problem because I live in Southern California, but if you live in some cold places such as Alaska or Iceland, this might be a way for you to use your iPhone, without risking to freeze your fingers.

The US Patent and Trademark Office published what seems to be an application from Apple for gloves that would actually work with the touchscreen. The glove would most likely have layers that emulate properties of human skin, such as electrical resistance.

Steve Jobs’ Health Is Declining Rapidly

Gizmodo reported today that according to one of their insider sources, Steve Jobs' health is getting worse and worse, which is the reason behind Macworld and Jobs keynote cancellations.

According to Gizmodo's source:

Steves health is rapidly declining. Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring.

This strategic loss will be less of a bang with investors. This is why Macworld is a no-go anymore. No more Steve means no more hype. Saying they are no longer needing [Macworld] is the cover designed by the worldwide "loyalty" department.

Apparently, this source has always been 100% right in the past, which leads us to think that it might be right again.

Gizmodo argues that Jobs' health is nobody's business but I completely disagree with that. Jobs' health is pretty much everybody's business, especially Apple's investors. However, I do agree with Jesus Diaz when he says that "we believe that there's a line between saying "no-comment" and plainly misleading—once again—the public.", talking about how Apple is lying to the public about Jobs' health.

The iPhone will get Flash…

Flash needs to be on the iPhone. Adobe knows it, Apple knows it, we know it. Due to Flash's many integrations on the Internet from advertisements to games and even full blown web sites, people are craving this functionality on their iPhone everywhere and a quick search on Twitter shows you what I am talking about. Not to mention it flys in the face of Apple's own statements that Mobile Safari browses "the true web" as it most certainly does not without Flash, Java and Active-X support.

The Good News, Flash streaming video is close ...

Streaming flash video for example can be interpreted by iMobile Cinema but it is only available for 1.x version firmware at the moment. According to the website the 2.x firmware version is in the works. Can't wait for this to be a reality as it is the main reason I want flash to perform on my phone.

Many sites are also offering iPhone friendly video now as they realize the political lockout of the Flash player may take a while to get resolved.

The Bad News, Wired says it will never happen ...

If you read the doom and gloom article over at Wired you may agree with them and give up hope.

Personally, I think they are dead wrong because hackers or 3rd party developers will address the solution if Apple does not. My prediction is that a jailbreak version of the Flash player shows up mid-next year at the latest. Can't wait.

iPhone Firmware 2.2 is Out. Jailbreakers Should Not Update!

The rumor was right... Apple did release firmware 2.2 last night and for once, it seems that we have some useful features added:

Enhancements to Maps:

Google Street View public transit and walking directions display address of dropped pins share location via email

Enhancements to Mail

resolve isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email improved formatting of wide HTML email

Other Enhancements

Improved stability and performance of Safari Podcasts are now available for download in the iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular networks) Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you the first Home screen Preference to turn on/off keyboard auto-correction

Apparently, iPod Touch users don't get the Google Maps upgrade that includes the addition of Street View as well as public transit and walking directions.

Like they did earlier this week, the Dev Team warns us about updating the iPhone using iTunes.

So, as anticipated our friends the misfits have recently released the long awaited 2.2 update. We can confirm that this update SHOULD NOT be applied using iTunes if you want the chance of a soft-unlock in the near future.

If you want to keep that option of a ‘soft-unlock in the near future’ available but you want the new features of 2.2, you will be able to update to 2.2 using a PwnageTool created custom ipsw file that disables the baseband update. You will be able to do this using an updated version of PwnageTool that will be released sometime soon.

Some facts -

The 2.2 firmware for 3G contains a baseband update for the 3G iPhone The 2.2 firmware for 2G (1st gen iPhones) doesn’t contain a baseband update and the baseband is still at 04.05.04 We believe that our Pwnage technique (and therefore the Jailbreak) isn’t affected, but PwnageTool and QuickPwn do not support this release as yet, so DO NOT install 2.2 using iTunes as you will lose your jailbreak If you apply this update and you previously relied on PwnageTool or QuickPwn to activate your phone, it may become temporarily deactivated and unusable (until we release the new version of PwnageTool or QuickPwn). PwnageTool and QuickPwn updates will be released as soon as possible that will allow a safe update path to 2.2 the release of these updates is inevitable but not imminent, we are creating the modifications right now and we need to put the new software through the usual testing process. If you apply this update and you have third-party (non AppStore) applications  that you rely on they will stop working. 2G (1st gen) iPhone users who cannot wait for the new PwnageTool or QuickPwn can safely “Update” to 2.2 using iTunes, this will preserve the existing activation. However “restoring” to 2.2 using iTunes will return the iPhone to the unactivated state. If you are in any doubt just wait. NB: This works for 2G ONLY. The use of SIM-Proxies (small circuit boards/chips that sit underneath the SIM card) to provide GSM/UMTS service on your locked iPhone 3G is a method that we have always advised against. Early reports suggest that the 2.2 update disables the functionality of these devices. The techniques used were always unreliable and we are surprised that they have lasted this long. We are not working on the 2nd generation iPod touch at the moment, so we cannot comment on what the the 2.2 software update may do to this specific model

So, as always, if you are in any doubt whatsoever please delay the install of this firmware on any of your devices until we have investigated the release in more detail. Watch this space ;-)

Also, iTunes 8.0.2 is out now. I doubt this will make much difference either way, but ask yourself, why bother. Just because a new version is out doesn’t mean you want it. I would hold off on this also.

iPhone Firmware 2.2 and iTunes 8.0.2 are both available from the downloads section of our blog.

Apple’s very own Podcaster

We all know how the rejection of Podcaster (an application enabling direct download of podcasts onto the iPhone) by Apple created outrage in blogging circles. Apple justified the move by telling "Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes." The excuse was rather lame given that there are loads of applications which easily fall under the "duplicate" category and yet have been approved by Apple. Developers were rather flustered about the weird Apple policies which saw their hard work go down the dumps for no valid reason.

Now to add insult to injury to the Podcaster developers, Apple is coming up with its very own Podcaster like feature in the upcoming iPhone 2.2 firmware. Take a look at this screenshot of iPhone 2.2 firmware (BETA version) from Schimanke.com.

Once you click on the App Store button on your iPhone. You will be taken to a screen which will have the "podcast" option at the bottom apart from other typical options. You can click on the podcasts button to search for your favorite podcasts and download them right onto your iPhone. One can use either WIFI or their cellular data connection (3G, Edge). A provision for Video Podcast Downloads has also been made. However, the user will require WIFI connection as the 10 MB download limit per file applies even on the new firmware.

All in all, even if it stings the Podcaster developer, one has to agree that a good functionality has been included by Apple. So thanks to Apple’s very own Podcaster, we have one more reason to wait for the new 2.2 firmware.