MacRumors.com

CrunchGear posts an internal AT&T memo that was sent out today revealing that the free iPhone Wifi was supposed to be launched today. Unfortunately, the launch has been canceled for unclear reasons:

“The iPhone Wi-Fi offer that was scheduled to launch today has been canceled. Nothing has been announced by the company to our customers and will not impact existing customers. Additional communication will be provided if the status the project changes.”

AT&T still intends to offer this service as noted by the NYTimes last week, but the timeframe is unknown.

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Mockups by Phil Lu
A much publicized patent application published in December 2007 revealed that Apple had explored allowing handheld owners (such as the iPhone) to place orders from local stores. The system would, for example, allow customers to order a drink with the press of a button on their iPhone which would then notify them when their order was ready.

A new patent application today expands that concept to different types of local content, including events, movies, concerts and could even present you with general information and reviews about local restaurants. This location-based content could also include ordering food as detailed in the previous patent application, but also movie tickets and music purchasing.

Beyond this, it appears local content could be customized, with businesses publishing content themselves to be distributed to passers by. A particularly useful example would be at an Airport where flight schedules, maps, weather, and city information could be offered. Presumably, those with a properly equipped iPhones (or other devices) would be able to access this content simply by connecting to their local Wifi network.

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Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog notes that Intel has now denied the statements published by ZDnet.de yesterday. Specifically, they claim that the Intel Germany's CEO was making general remarks about the kind of mobile devices that the Atom might power in the future. They go on to claim they know "nothing" about future products from other manufacturers. Fscklog also contacted an Intel Germany spokesperson who also claims that this statement never happened.

The confusion, however, is not one of poor German-to-English translation, as the original ZDnet article clearly stated what was reported. In fact, ZDNet's original article is now linking to another account of the same event. PCGamesHardware.de confirms statements like these were made, though without direct quotes the exact interpretation of it remains up for debate (translated by Leo from Fscklog):

PCGH-Editor Daniel Waadt was there as well an can attest, that Schwaderer referred to the iPhone as an example for the use of the atom-processor from Intel. The Intel CEO mentioned furthermore, that the display on iPhone 2 would be bigger than on iPhone 1 (although it is already quite big). iPhone 2 is also thinner than iPhone 1.

Update: Golem.de claims to have also been at the talk and they did not find any iPhone-related news in his talk:

Golem.de, too, was present at last night's intel-event, however, our hardware editor - who is at AMD channel summit in Dresden right now - did not find anything related to the iPhone in Schwaderer's comment.

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Image from Gizmodo

Aliph introduced a new version of its Jawbone bluetooth headset today. The new version replaces the original Jawbone and promises a smaller, lighter design with upgraded noise-canceling technology. A PCMag review notes the impressive noise canceling technology, which was notably better than the first generation Jawbone:

In a series of calls plus 15 voicemail tests, the New Jawbone sounded full-bodied, warm, and detailed—and, with the noise canceling circuitry engaged, there was no background noise whatsoever.

Incoming audio performance was described as "crisp and articulate, if a bit tinny."

The new Jawbone retails for $129, but their corporate website has not yet been updated to reflect the new device as of this writing.

Engadget had previously posted photos comparing the old and new Jawbones:

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Intelliborn has released a beta version of their Intelliscreen application for the iPhone. At present, you must have a Jailbroken iPhone to install this software.

Intelliscreen replaces your "Slide to Unlock" screen with a customizable screen that shows you information from Calendar, Email, Text Messages, News, Sports, and Weather.

• View Calendar, Email, Text Messages, News, Sports, and Weather from your iPhone "Slide To Unlock" screen
  
• Smooth scrolling across each item to quickly glimpse at your data
  
• Auto-Checks Email when you view the unlock screen - no need to "Refresh" from Mail.app or wait 15 minutes
  
• Go directly to the application of your choice with a "Swipe"
  
• Precise International Weather (by Zip) provided by Weather Underground.com
  
• News Feeds include Yahoo!, CNN, Fox News, and Reuters (more coming soon!)
  
• ESPN Sports Feeds include MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA Men's Football and NCAA Women's Basketball
  
• Customizing your IntelliScreen is easy! Choose which content you want to view and where
  
• Mail and Text Messages can be shown only if new items are available

As Beta software, you should proceed with caution. Installation instructions are provided in this thread.

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According to ZDNet.de, Intel Germany CEO Hannes Schwaderer confirmed that Apple would be using the Intel Atom processor in a future version of the iPhone. The new model will reportedly be a larger model with a larger display, correlating with circulating rumors about a mini-tablet (720x480) device rumored to be coming from Apple. English translation:

As part of an Intel event for the 40th birthday of the semiconductor company at Munich’s BMW World, Germany managing director Hannes Schwaderer confirmed today what has long been a rumor on the Internet: namely, that there is an iPhone with Intel’s new Atom chip. The device is slightly larger than the current version, Schwaderer said. That is not, however, because of the Intel chip, but because of the larger display used in the new iPhone.

He goes on to say that an upgraded version of the current form factor of iPhone would also exist as a 3G-model.

While Schwaderer calls the larger device a "version of the iPhone", it seems clear that it refers to the rumored mini-tablet device. Some rumors have suggested that it would be introduced at WWDC.

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As rumored, Swisscom announced today that they would be delivering the iPhone to Switzerland later this year:

The iPhone will be available later this year. We will inform you personally as soon as we have more news.

As typical for these announcements, no details are provided.

Meanwhile, GeekSugar cites their "reliable inside source" and says that the 3G iPhone will indeed be launched on June 9th at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference keynote. This is in line with most evidence, though the recent disappearance of iPhone stock drove speculation that the 3G iPhone announcement could come even sooner.

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iPhoneVideoRecorder is a trialware application presently available for Jailbroken iPhones that adds Video recording capability to your iPhone.

iPhone Video Recorder records audio and video to the compressed mpeg4 format, so the recording is space saving, an-hour-high-quality recording will be a file as small as 60MB. iPhone Video Recorder boasts a frame rate up to 15fps which guarantees better recording performance . With iPhone Video Recorder, recording is easy and enjoyable, you may play back the video, download it to a computer, upload to Youtube, or send it out by email as you wish.

With features such as mpeg4 encoding and Youtube uploading, it offers many desirable features. According to their FAQ, they intend on updating the application when the 3G iPhone comes out and also plan on including it in the official iTunes App Store when it launches in June. Those who paid the $19.95 registration fee will get future upgrades for free (including the App store version).

The unregistered version allows only 30 seconds of recording. A Youtube video demonstrates the application.

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AT&T's 3G network beat out Verizon and Sprint's competing networks in testing done by ComputerWorld.

To gauge the speed and reliability of these three wireless data networks, I used my ThinkPad X300 to collect nearly 500 data points at eight different places in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, within a 50-mile radius of midtown Manhattan's urban canyons.

I timed how long it took to establish a connection with each network, followed by speed tests. Using Alken's bandwidth meter, I was able to gauge download and upload speeds as well as how long it took to load that vendor's home page. Finally, I ran an Internet radio station and timed how long it took to drain the battery. I then compared it to running the battery down using the notebook's Wi-Fi radio.

All speed readings -- connection time, the Alken speed tests and page loading times -- were repeated five times and averaged.

The result placed AT&T as the leader with consistently faster download and upload speeds and shorter connection and page load times. The author notes that individual results may vary based on location.

As readers are probably aware, Apple is widely expected to announce a 3G iPhone by June's Worldwide Developers Conference.

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LeMatin.ch (French) reports that based on a source in Swisscom, Switzerland will be getting the iPhone this summer.

By itself, this news is not that surprising, as there have been a growing number of reports of the iPhone being delivered internationally in the coming months. Unique to this source, however, is the report that the iPhone would come with GPS, Video Conferencing and Mobile TV functionality.

GPS and video conferencing (with front-sided camera) have both been rumored for the next generation iPhone, but the addition of mobile television is new.

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Apple officially announced today that "a team of Apple executives, led by CEO Steve Jobs" would kick off Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 9th.

This year's WWDC will be showcasing both Mac OS X and OS X iPhone:

The five-day WWDC event, which runs from June 9 to June 13, will feature the first ever iPhone track for mobile developers with in-depth sessions and hands-on labs to fully explore the capabilities of the OS X iPhone 2.0 software, including the iPhone SDK and the App Store, a breakthrough way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to iPhone and iPod touch users.

Apple is widely expected to introduce a 3G-capable iPhone at this year's WWDC.

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AppleInsider has noted that AT&T's website for existing users now has an option for a black iPhone.



There have been rumors that Apple's upcoming 3G iPhone would come with a glossy black back (1, 2). While there have also been some reported image leaks as well, the authenticity of such images remains highly doubtful.

Update: According to one report from the forum thread, Apple's online retail staff is indicating that news about the iPhone may be forthcoming in the next week. Whether this pertains to the current iPhone availability shortage or if it indicates a 3G iPhone announcement is uncertain. Typically retail staff are not told about upcoming announcements until immediately beforehand, however the iPhone shortage may have prompted a change from that procedure.

Update 2: An AT&T spokesman spoke to Gizmodo regarding the 'iPhone Black' option on their website.

An AT&T spokesperson just told us that the iPhone Black dropdown reference on the AT&T Wireless website is just a temporary placeholder. The spokesperson says that it was used over the weekend for a "scheduled catalog update," distinguishing the various iPhone models (4GB, 8GB and 16GB).

The explanation does not explain why the "black" distinguisher was used.

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Electronic Weekly's David Manners writes (via CNet.com.au) about a revealing encounter he had with Luigi Licciardi, executive vice president for technology and operations at Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM). Licciardi confirms what everyone essentially knows: that TIM will be delivering a 3G version of the iPhone to Italy. Licciardi, however, actually gives us a solid timeframe for the launch:

“We will be selling an iPhone with 3G capability next month”, Luigi Licciardi, executive vice president for technology and operations at TIM told me yesterday evening on a bus taking us out into the desert for dinner following the first day of the International Electronics Forum 2008 in Dubai.

"Next month" conveniently coincides with Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), which takes place from June 9th to June 13th in San Francisco, CA.

This latest quote adds to a laundry list of evidence pointing to an imminent release of the 3G-capable iPhone. While the quote does not necessarily preclude an earlier May launch in the U.S., the rest of the available evidence points to June:

- Latest iPhone 2.0 Firmware Has 3G On/Off Option
- AT&T Blocking Out June 15-July 12 for 3G iPhone Launch?
- Foxconn to Deliver 3G capable iPhones Beginning in June

Meanwhile, Research in Motion today announced their first 3G-capable mobile phone, the BlackBerry Bold. While the Bold will also not available until this summer, Apple has clearly targeted RIM as a competitor to the iPhone.

Finally, just this morning additional iPhone coverage for Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia has been announced by SingTel, Bharti Airtel, Globe and Optus. This means two carriers will be providing coverage in India and Australia. No additional details were provided in the press release.

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In a very brief press release SingTel announced that their companies would be providing the iPhone to multiple countries:

SingTel, Bharti Airtel, Globe and Optus today announced that they have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia later this year.

More information will be released at a later date.

The countries include Singapore and the Philippines which have not had any iPhone coverage to date. Meanwhile, India and Australia will also have iPhone coverage from Vodafone. Optus will be providing iPhone coverage in Australia.

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In April, SwitchToaMac.com published a rumor that Apple would be launching the 3G iPhone earlier than expected... in May. At the time, we dismissed it, as the rumor didn't seem to correspond with the circulating expectations that the new iPhone would be launched in June at WWDC. Apple's dwindling stock of iPhones in both the U.S. and U.K. however, has made us look at this rumor once again.

As mentioned, SwitchToaMac's source claimed that the 3G-capable iPhone would be announced in May, with the belief that it would be available for purchase the day after the announcement.

The reason for a pre-WWDC announcement? Reportedly, Apple would instead announce a brand new portable device at WWDC. No other details of what this device might be, but there have been rumors that Apple was developing a mini-tablet multitouch device for launch in 2008. This PDA-like device would reportedly have a higher screen resolution (720x480) and be about 1.5x the size of the existing iPhone.

Repubblica.it first reported (in April) that they expected the Italian 3G iPhone launch "in the next few weeks", suggesting a May launch. While Telecom Italia and Vodofone did announce their intentions to supply the iPhone in Italy, no formal announcement had been made from Apple. Meanwhile, Apple's supply of iPhones has dwindled to nothing and our retail sources have indicated that they too will not be receiving many (if any) more iPhone shipments, leading many to speculate that the 3G-capable iPhone launch will be sooner than expected.

We don't necessarily believe this rumor is true, but present it as an interesting possibility. Obviously, we'll see between now and WWDC if it has any merit.

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Earlier today we posted a screenshot on our dedicated iPhone blog (RSS) that claimed to depict a new On/Off option to enable 3G speeds. This new preference was found in the latest iPhone 2.0 Beta 5 distributed to developers. By default, the preference is hidden, but one developer (Chronic Productions) claims to have activated it. We have since confirmed that the text shown is indeed in the iPhone 2.0 Beta firmware, so the screenshot appears to be legitimate.

While the iPhone 2.0 firmware appears to contain 3G code, current iPhone owners will not be able to take advantage of the 3G speeds without buying the new iPhone. It appears that Apple will be using a common firmware for both the existing iPhone and the unreleased 3G-capable iPhone.

Also of interest is that due to the higher 3G power consumption, Apple is giving users an option to fall back to EDGE speeds in order to prolong battery life.

The 3G-capable iPhone is widely expected to be released in the coming months, possibly at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June.

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While we haven't been able to independently verify this ourselves, one blog post claims the latest Beta 5 iPhone Network.plist file contains 3G preferences, and that somehow can be activated. The claim reads:

Note that this is not fake, it is in the beta 5 .ipsw, but will normally not show up on an EDGE iPhone. Turning 3G on will just crash the phone if you use an EDGE phone. If you do not believe me, then decrypt the beta5 rootfs dmg, and see for yourself in /Applications/Preferences.app/Network.plist

If anyone is able to verify, please let us know.

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Both the U.S. and U.K. online Apple Stores are currently out of both the 8GB and 16GB iPhones.

Customers trying to order the iPhone will find that both models are "currently unavailable." This comes just days after UK's O2 carrier's website also reflected that the 8GB and 16GB iPhones were "no longer available". Some speculated O2's lack of iPhones might may have been a decision to deplete regional stock while awaiting the next generation iPhone, but it appears even Apple's U.S. supply of iPhones has dwindled down. Reports from U.S. retail stores have confirmed the same.

Apple has been widely rumored to introduce their next-generation iPhone at their Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), though that event is still almost on month away. While it remains possible that this is a temporary supply issue, the proximity to WWDC will certainly generate a lot of speculation.

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An anonymous source to TUAW claims that .Mac will see a refresh with the release of iPhone 2.0 which is expected at WWDC.

While the site claims .Mac will see a "complete revamp", the details given indicate a less dramatic enhancement-related event, with the main features being exchange-like over-the-air syncing of calendars, contacts, and email via .Mac for iPhone, and .Mac syncing on Windows.

A reminder to readers that anonymous tips, regardless of the publishing entity, should always be regarded with due suspicion.

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