One of the biggest let downs for Apple fan boys world wide was the lack of SDK with the original release of the iPhone. Apple are trying to make things right with the official announcement of the upcoming SDK and version 2.0 of the iPhone firmware. Doesn’t it sound to good to be true?
Ok, instead of writing about the people who are already announced programs for the iPhone and Touch (Salesforce and Will Wright’s Spore), or the new additions that Apple are adding to the new firmware (Exchange support for the corporate user), lets think of ways Apple will turn this against the user.
Apple have this fantastic way of making people pay for everything. If you didn’t know, Apple were the people who started removing the power adapter from the iPods, that caused most other companies to adopt the habit. Now they are releasing a SDK, but you will have to buy new software through the iTunes store. Not just a video, sound and game distribution platform any more.
That isn’t all either. To publish an application you have to pay Apple a fee of $US99, and 30% of sales. It means that if you were planning to make open source software with the SDK, you better think again.
What other evils are Apple planning with this software package? Other then the licensing of ActiveSync for the corporate world (which is utter crap), they have hinted about unlocked phones losing access to the store. This will also include any hacked devices, that are quite happily enjoying free software addons already.
Apple have taken the ability to modify a potentially great device, taking away the ability for consumers to crack it open and change the way the device is used, and turned it into a money making machine for large companies to overcharge people for software that should have come standard with the device in the first place. You will be able to enjoy your Apple induced prison around June of this year.
For more info, click over to DailyTech.
iPhone and Windows Mobile might be the buzz words when it comes smartphones. It seems that both of those companies together couldn’t match the true leader in smartphone operating systems. I am talking about the all powerful Symbian OS. In 2007 alone they shipped 77.3 Million devices, and can be found on over 141 handsets. They also recorded a 50% growth over 2006! Who would have funked it?
For more info, click over to Engadget.
It didn’t take to long to break open Apple’s 1.1.3 firmware, but seems that hackers already have. Jailbreak is now doable on your 1.1.3 iPod Touch or iPhone, with one problem. They haven’t released the info on how to do it. Apparently it is too complicated and they are working on making it easier for the average user. Expect it pretty soon, considering what the Jailbreak team have already accomplished.
For more info, jump over to PMPToday.
MacWorld was great this year for iPhone lovers, who have now been shown an up and coming version 1.1.3 firmware for the device. Apple also showed off a 16GB iPhone, which is a much nicer size then the current 8GB (where is the 32GB?).
Unfortunately if you are a iPod Touch owner, Apple have decided to screw you with a $20 fee for some add-on software. For your $US20 you get Mail, Weather, Stocks, Notes, and Maps. Nice but those apps already come for free with your iPhone for free. Who would have thought that the $US400 you spent on your device wasn’t enough to justify some little applications.
In the case of both devices, you can expect hackers to take them apart and bring them back together with those features and more. For that it will cost you nothing (except maybe a bricked device).
It’s apparently for real people and it will guarantee break you old hacks and give you didley squat. Gizmodo have said “the update breaks unlocks and third-party apps, patching previous vulnerabilities at the same time.” If it is anything to go by, it seems it is the end of the world… at least for people with unlocked iPhones (unless they don’t upgrade and/or wait 10mins for someone to hack it after it is officially released).
For more info, click over to the Gizmodo Blog.
iPhone gets the ability to teleport people forward and back in time will probably be the next headline. This one though, is that you can emulate Playstation (the first one) games on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Titled psx4all, developed by guy who also created gpSPhone, can play around 75% of games, still in development and uses software and hardware buttons to play games. If you had donated to the gpSPhone project you are probably already playing around with this, but otherwise there is no current public release of the software. Who wants to play PS1 games on a freaking touch screen, really people this is getting out of hand!
For more info, jump over to the ZODTTD Website.
Well not exactly. It now has an emulator for you to download ‘legitimate’ GameBoy Advance games onto you iPhone and play them. The application is titled gpSPhone, and is currently in version 0.5 (which is very buggy supposedly). It will be surprising now to see how many people buy iPhones, because they will be able to play Pokemon while on the train.
For more info, click over to the TUAW Website. And to download gpSPhone go to ZodTTD.
It was bound to happen, and it seems the date will be tomorrow. What I am talking about is the new iPhone 1.1.2 firmware, which will surely create havoc for all those unlockers and hackers out there. The firmware will add a few features, but the most notable is the disk-use mode, which apparently makes the iPhone work as if it was a thumb drive (possible exploit there I would say). Don’t be too worried though, the hackers always prevail.
For more info, click over to the Engadget Blog.
How do the French unlock their iPhone’s? They make a law and Apple unlock them. It seems that part of the deal that comes with Orange selling iPhone’s in France, are that the devices have to be unlocked because of the rule that prevents carriers from tying handsets exclusively to their networks. Orange will now sell an unlocked iPhone in France, along side a locked on for €399 (not for the unlocked iPhone). It isn’t as cute as a 13 year old breaking it, but it is a hell of a lot cleaner.
For more info, click over to The Register Website.
If you thought Apple were ahead of their time with the iPhone, wait to you check out the new Deep Red model. It is the same as the old, except it is this magical colour called ‘Deep Red’. No pictures as yet, but there will be apparently 2 models on offer, a 4GB (yes, they are re-releasing it) and a 8GB. It should be available from AT&T before Christmas this year (and probably everywhere else a little after that).
For more info, click over to the EngadgetMobile Blog.