CORAL SPRINGS — Move over iPod, make room for iSermon.

Church by the Glades is hoping to bribe - its word - new people into attending.

Anyone who comes to its iThemed services for the first time during the next three weekends can get a $15 iTunes gift card by filling out a "connection card." Today, one new visitor will win an iPhone.

The series of sermons is called "i: Successful Living in a Self-Absorbed World."

The iDea came from David Hughes, the Baptist church's breezy pastor.

"I'm an iPod guy," he said.

American preachers have always employed creative methods, including rousing music, tent revivals and wagon rides to church, said Southern Baptist Convention spokesman Roger S. "Sing" Oldham.

"The method is fair game as long as it's not illegal, immoral or against scripture," Oldham said. "The message must never be compromised."

In January, Church by the Glades put a head-snapping message on a billboard in Broward County: "The Bare Naked Truth on Sex," drawing 50,000 hits on its Web site, www.cbglades.com .

In Hughes' eight-year tenure, weekend attendance has grown from 500 to 2,500.

"I can't reach them if they don't come in the door," he said.


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Apple has released the iPhone without any option for laser engraving text or graphics. On the full line of the popular iPod products Apple offered laser text engraving as an option. With the release of the iPhone, Apple provided no such option to buyers. But one company is now willing to do what Apple won’t! Provitron Systems Inc. of Kenmore WA is now accepting shipments of iPhones from all over the world to engrave not only text, but also graphics onto the iPhone. Looking for more info? Just visit their website: www.etchaniphone.com Also it looks like they do a really nice job on iPods and laptops too.


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Every year since the iPod was first introduced a new version has been released in September or October. This year is no different. Retail inventory numbers indicate that Apple is letting the current iPods sell out without replenishment. So right now would be a really bad time to buy an iPod at least in my opinion. It is understood that the next iPod will have a larger screen, will run a version of OS X, and will use flash NVRAM instead of a mini hard drive. Truly these are some fantastic improvements.

Most of us iPod owners are unfortunately familiar with the mini hard drives failing. A switch to flash memory for the large iPod is a welcome improvement in my book. Unfortunately this will mean that there is less storage. We will probably see something with about 16 GB of storage. Another welcome improvement is the addition of OS X as the operating system. As we have seen with the iPhone, this is a fantastic addition! This means it will be hackable and tweakable. The larger screen would be a nice addition, however I would be willing to speculate that the next iPod screen won’t be as large as the current iPhone screen since such screens are rather expensive. Apple will likely want to make the screen a touch screen. Again though in order to keep the cost for the item within reach of most consumers I highly doubt that it will be a screen nearly the size of the unit as seen with the iPhone.



So just to recap, we don’t have an Apple
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User Centric, Inc., a usability consultancy research group, has published a study finding that iPhone’s virtual keyboard is nearly twice as slow to enter text compared with devices that have fixed hardware buttons.

The study gave iPhones to 20 participants who were asked to send text messages and emails using the device, while UC searchers monitored their actions. Hilarity ensued. The group found texting on devices with fixed keys to be fast and accurate. On the iPhone - slow and clumsy.

Now, I am in no way a statistician, but there are a number of flaws in this study. For starters, none of the particiants in the study own iPhones…but all owned QWERTY devices, which skews results dramatically. These users were already accustomed to fixed QWERTY keyboards, giving those devices an unfair advantage in the study.

Second, as I have already mentioned numerous times, you become increasing acclimated to iPhone’s virtual keyboard with usage. After one month you’ll find text input on iPhone to be every bit as credible as a fixed keyboard. Even faster. I make just as many input errors on iPhone as I do my Treo - the difference is iPhone’s spelling correction covers my errors, which speeds input dramatically.

As with all studies, take these findings with a grain of salt and a shot of Bourbon.

[source theiphoneblog ]

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Take out your felt tip pens, kids, and colour in the faces of AT&T executives bright shame-red. BlackBerry Cool have been tipped off that the carrier - currently riding a tide of iPhone-inflated success - are so concerned with Apple’s cellphone remaining top of the pile that they’ve intentionally crippled the BlackBerry 8820 in order to make it less of a threat.

Apparently the decision was made by top execs at AT&T who basically told RIM, the people behind the BlackBerry, that if they didn’t lock down the handset’s GPS the carrier would no longer buy devices from them. Understandably, RIM are phucking livid.

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Acclaimed 'iPod Bible' Now Packs iPhone Reviews, 244 Pages, 1375 Ratings


IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- By its fourth day of availability, iLounge.com's acclaimed Free iPod Book 3.0 -- a guide to iPod use, buying, selling and accessories called "the iPod Bible" by gadget lovers such as Engadget.com and Geek.com -- had been downloaded 300,000 times. Soon thereafter, it was downloaded over 1,000,000 times, as readers devoured exclusive first looks at not-yet-released iPod and iPhone accessories. But thanks to its publication date in early June, one thing was missing from the Book: an actual Apple iPhone.


Today, the editors of iLounge have remedied that omission with the release of The Free iPod Book 3.3, an updated, iPhone-friendly 244-page edition in Adobe PDF format. Available immediately for download in versions viewable on any PC or Macintosh computer, The Free iPod Book 3.3 goes beyond offering expert advice on Apple's iPods, iTunes, and Apple TVs; it's also packed with hands-on iPhone and accessory information, and can even be downloaded as a special version optimized for reading on the iPhone itself.


"We were blown away by reader and critical response to version 3.0," said Dennis Lloyd, Publisher of iLounge.com and The Free iPod Book. "Now that we've included an entire Free iPhone Book, complete with hard-hitting reviews, new photos, and smart buying advice, The Free iPod Book 3.3 is an even more necessary read for current and potential Apple customers. If you're thinking of buying an iPod, iPhone, software, or accessories, you owe it to yourself to start right here."

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Sometimes the simplest games are the best. Maybe that is why I fall in and out of love of Grand Theft Auto but no matter where I am or what I am doing I always enjoy playing Tetris.

Stack the Log! is one of those simple games that seem too simple at first but after playing it a few times you really do get hooked. Admittedly, I was not in the mood to play games on my iPhone this evening but after a particularly long day today it was actually the thing I needed.

The game works like this: A log moves left to right, you push the button. Log drops. Then another log moves left to right. You push said button again. Any part that overhangs the pile drops off. Eventually your accuracy suffers and the leftover log is so tiny that you inevitably miss the log pile and the game is over.

It might not utilize the tilting feature from the phone but it is fun. Check it out here
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No this isn't another post on how Apple denied us a real SDK, ringtones and the treasure of an Aztec empire. This is more of an overview of the current status on Web Apps and what their fate might be.

Web Apps are weird things. They've allowed us to dodge paying for Software and are being considered by businesses. Their interoperability with other users and Web services make them ideal over their Desktop brethren. But they were built upon one fatal flaw which I believe will lead to their demise should they ever be abandoned: that a Web Browser could replace an OS.

If I wanted to right now I could replace all of my Applications, every single one I use daily with Web based versions. I'd get a lot of benefits such as being able to access my data on my iPhone or from any other Web connected device. I wouldn't have to pay for my Software licenses and I could manipulate my data how I see fit.

This sounds great but last I checked Browsers crash and they fail a lot more than your Operating System. Have too many tabs open on a slower system holding all your Web Apps and what happens? The browser was meant to browse text and images, not be the environment to run heavy and bloated Applications. Even then Web Apps were designed to run on mobile devices but in reality the restriction is heavy and the use limited due to the type of code that can be used and what Browsers are capable of.

Web Apps are still popular despite this and not everyone experiences this problem. What needs to happen is either Web Apps and Browsers adapt to each either or face extinction.



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Attention Facebook users! Lamenting the lack of an iPhone-specific interface for your favorite social networking site? Lament no more! Just recently the fine folks over at Facebook have launched an iPhone-specific version of their site, http://iphone.facebook.com . This version should make it considerably easier to navigate on the iPhone.

The more obvious part of the problem with navigating the default Facebook site on the iPhone is the screen size and the EDGE speed. However, as Katie of MacRumors wrote a week ago, there is another problem with it. Facebook apps. Small little applications that a user can put into their page. In larger numbers, it has a habit of crashing Mobile Safari. With the iPhone version of Facebook, this shouldn't be as much of an issue.

You have Joe Hewitt to thank for this one. He claims to be responsible for the iPhone implementation of the site. Apparently he's responsible for many of the early web implementations for the iPhone. ( Wired profile )

[Via MacRumors and Mashable ]


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This is probably one of the most exciting application to be announced for the iPhone since its launch. SHAPE Services, a German company, known for making mobile IM clients, has just announced IM+ for Skype for the iPhone, a web site optimized for the iPhone which means it will allow you to access Skype via iPhone's Safari browser, no iPhone hacks needed here.

Thus bringing cost-effective calling to landlines and mobiles from your iPhone.

With IM+ for Skype you can now chat with Skype friends, call any PC, mobile or landline phone from wherever you are; making it very cost effective as all that you will be using is iPhone's data services which is unlimited. Based on information on their website, the other important aspect is it does not need WiFi and should work on AT&T's Edge network as well.

The application is currently in beta and hence the company is inviting people to participate in a beta testing round. They are also making it attractive and will be awarding an unlimited license for the most active beta testers.

IM+ for Skpe also works with most of the other mobile phones like BlackBerry RIM, Windows Mobile Pocket PC, Palm OS, Symbian and J2ME devices but will cost you $25 after a 7-day free trial. You can try this out for free for a limited time on your iPhone .


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According to the usual suspects, now you can 100%-unlock the iPhone using a Turbo SIM card, without depending on the version of your current carrier card. Testers say it will give you full calling, SMS and GPRS data capabilities with any network and no extra hardware needed, since it only requires you to modify the $80 blank SIM using your own iPhone.

The hackers are claiming that this method doesn't use card readers and it doesn't depend on your previous card version either, so it doesn't matter if it is a V1, V2 or V3. All of them will work fine.

While the Turbo SIM-based method is not software-only, it seems simple and cheap enough for anyone to follow.

However, to save you any potential pain we will test it here as soon as we get our Turbo SIM cards —which are about to arrive. We will give you a full report on our results as soon as we try it. [Bladox Forums]

I found this at gizmodo.com



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It seems that quite a few iPhone owners are reporting that their screens have either stopped responding to input or that part of the screen has gone dead. Apple's online forum has seen many posts from iPhone users reporting similar issues with their screens. To make matters worse, Apple support seems to be all over the map in how they are handling the issue. Most customers are being forced to send in their phones for repair and pay $29 for a loaner, while others have been able to get the $29 loaner fee waived. Since the product is so new I would think that Apple would be quickly replacing these phones in order to keep the excitement of their customers going, while at the same time, getting these phones back so that hopefully they can uncover what's causing some of the screens to fail.

CNN Money is reporting that Apple purchased the patent to property rights for the iPhone touchscreen's chemical makeup from a bankrupt Finnish firm that could not solve degradation and loss of sensitivity that developed over time; typically within three to six months.

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When I first read about Thomas Martel, I thought he was the biggest moron on the place of the planet and many of you agreed. Maybe he was doing it for the publicity or maybe he really needed to have this thumbs shaved down, who knows. I really wanted to kick this guy’s ass, though. What’s the point? The screens are crapping out and you wouldn’t be able to text on it anyways.


Well, the North Denver News has pulled a fast one on us. The Rockie Mountain folk have a sense of humor like us and have revealed that the whole story was fake. Anyone that’s taken anatomy will tell you that your phalanges don’t have muscles. That was fun wasn’t it? Hey NDN, leave the funny to us. We know what we’re doing

see editors note at NDN

from CRUNCHGEAR
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AT&T pulled the bait and switch on its own employees. One was repeatedly told that his employee discount would apply only towards iPhone calling plans, but not the iPhone itself, or its associated data plan. The employee twice verified the existence of a calling plan discount - at an AT&T store, and with AT&T customer support. He even called customer support before the 14-day return window closed and again verified that, yes, his discount applied to the calling plan. After the employee received his first bill last week, he sat down and wrote us this letter:

"I was told I should write to you about my experience with my iPhone purchase. I am currently an employee at AT&T. I, like everyone else that loves electronics, was chomping at the bit to get the new iPhone the minute it came out. That is, until I heard rumors that we would not receive our employee discounts once we associated the iPhone with our account. I was upset but had decided not to get this little gem. I did, however, want to go to the store where they were at just to see one in person. I was asked if I would like to purchase one by one of the sales people. I told her that I would but I didn't want to lose my company discount on my phone service for the two phones I had on my account. She informed me then that I had misunderstood the discount procedure. We could not get a discount on the equipment (iPhone) or the mandatory data package associated with the phone but we would, in fact, retain our discount on our calling plan being as the calling plan has nothing to do with the type of phone you are using at the time you make the call. I thought about it and made the purchase.
I went home to activate my new toy and received a warning that I would lose all discounts associated with my business account. I did not activate the phone. I called customer support on June 30th around 9:00 a.m. to verify with them the message I had received. They informed me with the same information that the sales person at the store had told me. I would retain my discount on my calling plan.

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Apple released the first million or so iPhones without the option for custom etching of text on the back. A company in Seattle allows not just etching of text, but also your favorite graphics on your iPhone.

iPhiend reporter interviews owner.

iPhiend – I found out about your service through a friend who wouldn’t stop bragging about having your company put an Aztec border on the cover of his gateway laptop. I understand from your website that you specialize in Apple products.

Owner – Yes, although we etch many products like your friends laptop cover, we have tooled our equipment to precisely etch Apple products. For items such as the iPhone and iPod a black mark can be added to the back. Items like the iPod nano which are colored anodized aluminum may be marked on the front and the back.

iPhiend – I know I don’t want to part with my iPhone for long. What is the turn around time?

Owner – Normally an iPhone can be etched in 1-2 days. Plus what ever shipping method is selected of course.

iPhiend – So this equipment looks like it cost a million dollars. You must charge quite a bit to make this worth your while. What would you charge for an iPhone with a graphic and text?

Owner – You are spot on, this equipment broke the bank for sure, but our prices are quite reasonable. So long as it was only one side, a graphic and text engraved on an iPhone would run around $55.00

iPhiend – Is there anything that you won’t etch?

Owner – We try to stay away from etching the edges of electronic devices and borders. Also the maximum etching area is 17.5” X 10.5” X 4”. This will fit most laptops. There are a few materials which we cannot etch on due to the poisonous gasses created during the laser etching process or because the laser is incapable of etching certain materials.

iPhiend – So how does one start the process of getting their iPhone or MacBook etched?

Owner – Well they just need to head to www.etchaniphone.com or http://markapod.provitron.com and click on the Start Here button in yellow.

We here at iPhiend were very impressed by the capabilities that Provitron was able to display to us. Although their service for etching iphones and other products is rather new, they have the process down to a science. iPhiend would love to hear how your projects turned out.


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If you are one of those who was disappointed not to see Bluetooth's A2DP profile in the iPhone feature list then here is some good news for you as there is a workaround.

Thanks to a tip from one of TUAW's reader, you should be able to stream audio from your iPhone to a Bluetooth headset.

What is A2DP?

In order to use Bluetooth, a device must be compatible with certain Bluetooth profiles. A Bluetooth profile is a standardized interface between Bluetooth devices. Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) is a profile that defines how high quality audio (stereo or mono) can be streamed from one device to another over a Bluetooth connection - for example in this context, music streamed from an iPhone to a wireless headset.

Now that we all know what A2DP stands for lets find out how you can stream audio from your iPhone to a Bluetooth headset. Audio here means audio from audio tracks as well as videos

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The hottest techno-gadget ever made has its own ultimate guidebook – The iPhone® Book written by #1 top-rated technology book author Scott Kelby and renowned gadget guru Terry White. This new book will be released on August 13th, the first iPhone book in print, is a lot like the iPhone itself — simple to use and fun to learn. The book’s layout is brilliant with each page covering just one single topic so finding the information you need is quick and easy, including full-color photos so you can see exactly how it works from setting-up wireless Internet to watching videos. The iPhone Book is truly the ultimate “how-to” guide for Apple’s new groundbreaking phone.

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USBFever.com today rolled out its iPhone KickStand Crystal Case , a protective case that supports the cellular handset like a photo frame either horizontally or vertically. The iPhone KickStand Crystal Case includes a removable belt clip that, when absent, provides an opening for a neck strap. The case offers cut-outs for access to all of the iPhone's key buttons and ports, conforming to the iPhone while guarding the screen from dust and scratches. The iPhone KickStand Crystal Case is priced at $17.

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On the authoritative 4G Mobile website, 15-year mobile phone architect Willie Lu posts what he says are 10 documented problems with the iPhone:

1. The current wireless system architecture is very closed. Basically, it is still the old coupling technology to put together multiple radio standards into one handphone which is a big question in terms of transmission performance and system performance. For the next generation iPhone, the wireless architecture must be open, and the key system modules should be extensible and upgradeable based on the open wireless architecture (OWA) platform.

2. The wireless transmission efficiency is very low. While it is limited somehow to the closed system architecture, it is also stucked in the radio resource management (RRM) layer. The swicth with GSM, EDGE and Bluetooth is based on an inefficient algorithm to make RRM even worse if the user wants to have high-speed data while the voice is in short-time inactive mode. Because of the current billing model, the service provider is reluctant to turn off the voice when the data service is being charged.

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Sharp-eyed hackers have found references to games inside Apple’s uber-phone, whatever could that mean? Homebrew games are the only way to play on iPhone... so far... We’ve lamented the iPhone’s lack of games in the past, but now it seems Apple’s more on the ball than we previously thought.

Ingenious hackers have found references to games (or rather, references to removing games) inside the iPhone’s software, and since there’re no games currently present, it can mean only one thing – they’re coming.

Whether Apple will design its own titles or allow developers free reign to make games for the touchscreen wonder remains to be seen.

One thing’s almost certain though, we’ll buy them through the iTunes Store in the same way we load up our iPods.

Props to the Download Squad for unearthing Apple’s game-shaped trail of breadcrumbs, now all we need is for the big A to seal the deal with a few tasty titles!


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