LG electronics is ready with its iPhone rival LG-KS20. It is 3G enables and uses WCDMA unlike Apple's iPhone. The operating system is Windows mobile 6.0? Other features are WiFi, mp3 player, 2.0 megapixel camera and bluetooth almost iPhone similar features.

LG Electronics Inc.'s battle to beat the iPhone is far from over. The South Korean electronics company has unveiled its second iPhone-like handset and this one packs several important features the iPhone doesn't: 3G and high-speed cellular data networking.

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Whether you feel it's right or not, successful iPhone hardware hacks have been reported around the world. Some of these hacks have worked and the users seem pretty happy with the results.

Others have backfired and caused damage that's nothing less than impossible to explain to the nice person behind the Genius Bar as accidental or the dog's fault (such as the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth now refusing to work or the iPhone itself refusing to power up).

In one reported instance, a more severe example has arisen.

A relatively anonymous post to the Hackintosh forums provided this comment and showed this picture:

“We were so happy, all the software part was done, so we started opening the iphone. The antenna cover was a bit tricky but eventually it came off. Then we started to open the metal cover (after taking out the 3 screws) and PUFF, up it went in smoke, I think my collegue must have touched something. It literally went up in black smoke. It was so hot that when I tried to pick it up I burnt my fingers. So, this is for sure the most difficult part of the whole process. I don’t know what he did, as I had just stepped out of the room to fetch something when I heard a scream…they got such a fright.”

Although the iPhone is severely cool, there are certain proticals to follow when opening it up and trying to modify it: as in, be extremely careful, follow the directions and if you find US$499/US$599 wafting to the ceiling in the form of black smoke, try to have a sense of humor about it after the fact.

If you have any thoughts or feedback, let us know in the comments


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iFunstastic v3.03 is here and the good news for those who have PowerPCs is that the latest version of the iPhone hack now supports PowerPC. The other great enhancement is that the file browser will not only let you gain access to iPhone's file system it will also allows you to install the latest native iPhone application.

bitSplit, after about 3 weeks of silence has just released v3.03 of iFuntastic and if v2.5 was great with the addition of the iPhone file browser, the latest version is even better.

So what's new? One of the limitations of the previous versions of iFuntastic was that it could be used only on only Intel based MAC computers, the good news is the new version now also supports PowerPC as promised. However, looks like Windows PC users will need to wait longer.

The other new feature called "Unshackling" has been introduced in this version, basically this means that you do not need to un-jail or re-jail your iPhone for every modification instead it needs just one-time jail breaking. This method also does not require iTunes to be shut down while you are making modifications which was another limitation of the prevision version.

You can now use the file browser (called the file manager in this version) to not only gain access to iPhone's file system but it will also allow you to install the latest native iPhone applications or hacks including uploading of NES ROMs.

The Home screen personalization feature has been enhanced, with the new version you are not limited to one home screen but you can have multiple home screens with each having different icons and even backgrounds.

As for custom ringtones feature, you can now use iFuntastic to rip iTunes previews for you , all you need to do is simply create a playlist of songs from the iTunes Music Store and drag the exported version into iFuntastic to install them as custom ringtones on your iPhone. For more details Read More...Click Permalink before submitting article:

Hackers have figured out how to unleash Apple's iPhone from AT&T's cellular network, but people hoping to make money from the procedure could face legal problems.

At least one of the companies hoping to make money by unlocking iPhones said it is hesitating after calls from lawyers representing the phone company.

Unlocking the phone for one's own use, for instance to place calls with a different carrier, appears to be legal. But if it's done for financial gain, the legality is less certain.

''Whether people can make profits from software that hacks the iPhone is going to depend very much on exactly what was done to develop that software and what does that software do,'' said Bart Showalter, head of the Intellectual Property practice group at law firm Baker Botts in Dallas.

John McLaughlin of Uniquephones.com , an outfit based in Northern Ireland, said in a phone interview Wednesday that its unlocking software for iPhones is ready, but the company is holding off while it gets legal advice.

He said it had been contacted by lawyers from O'Melveny & Myers LLP, an international law firm representing AT&T, who told him the software contained material copyrighted by Apple Inc.

''They don't have it, so therefore they can't actually threaten us,'' McLaughlin said. ''It was 'friendly advice.'''

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had nothing to say about the case.

Uniquephones.com had planned to release the software via iphoneunlocking.com . The price for people on its mailing list, which contained just fewer than half a million addresses, would be $25 per iPhone, McLaughlin said.

''From their e-mail addresses, they're from everywhere in the world,'' McLaughlin said. ''Everybody is just waiting for it.''

The iPhone is sold only in the U.S., and only for use on the AT&T network, but it is compatible with cell phone technology used around the world, which means an unlocked phone can use an overseas account and number. In the U.S., T-Mobile is the only other major carrier compatible with the iPhone; Sprint and Verizon Wireless use different network technologies.

Most U.S. phones are locked to their carrier when sold, because the carrier subsidizes the cost of the phone. The iPhone, however, is apparently not subsidized by AT&T.

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The iPhone unlocking hysteria is getting out of control. For non-US users, or for US users who often travel internationally, it might be worthwhile. But for US users it's almost worthless. The iPhone is a GSM phone, which means the only US carriers it'll work with are AT&T and T-mobile. The Sprint and Verizon networks are CDMA, not GSM. There's no magical "unlock" that will turn the iPhone's GSM hardware into CDMA hardware.

So are there really that many US users just dying to use the iPhone on T-mobile's network?


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AT&T when asked to comment on the iPhoneSimFree.com story, the only answer was, “no comment”, looks like they are under orders to be quiet by the legal-bots.

A second iPhone unlocking company that was gearing up to sell the service, iPhoneUnlocking/UniquePhones, also claimed to have a full software unlock. The company was soon to bring this service to market but according to their blog this will be delayed due to calls from AT&T lawyers.

"Uniquephones is taking legal advice to ascertain whether AT&T was sending a warning shot or directly threatening legal action," writes the company. "The logistics of different continents as well as it being a weekend factors into how the situation develops."

iPhoneSimFree has not yet indicated whether it has received any legal threats from AT&T.



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Although the major news outlets are only covering the story of 17-year-old New Jersey student George Hotz and his hardware/software hack of the iPhone which unlocks the iPhone from the AT&T network. We applaud his efforts, but hacks involving soldering wires into my iPhone are somewhat out of the question. A better hack in our opinion is available at http://iphonesimfree.com . This hack unlocks the iPhone easily using mostly only software(you do need a SIM card reader also). The best news yet is that for the next 48 hours if you apply, they might unlock it for FREE. Quoted from the iphonesimfree.com site,

“To silence any doubters out there, we are welcoming publications from around the world to apply to receive their iPhones(tm) unlocked FREE OF CHARGE. If interested, please submit an application via our Contact Us form. The top three applications will receive a free un-lock within the next 48 hours, which will be soon followed by the commercial launch of the software for public consumption.

SALES:
Individual per unit licenses will be available starting next week. We are currently opening up our mail for bulk purchase enquiries of 500 licenses and above. Interested parties please Contact Us.”

Each hack does have its own intrinsic benefits. The unlocking hack found by George Hotz is more difficult than most of us would like to take on; however, it is a hack that Apple won’t be able to program around. In the case of the iPhoneSIMFree hack. It is certainly an easier hack and will likely result in far more unlocked iPhones. Unfortunately there is a chance that Apples next iPhone software update could undo their crafty hack.

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We all know that the iPhone is popular. In fact just over Sixteen percent of US early adopters who plan to purchase a cellular phone in the next six months say they will buy an iPhone, according to ChangeWave Research. So certainly Apples expensive smartphone is making a clear dent in the market. Now that the iPhone has conquered the US, is Europe next?

Apple has signed deals with several European telecoms including: Frances Orange, T-Mobile in Germany, and the UK’s O2. It appears that Apple will be collecting a portion of service proceeds from each of the above listed telecoms.

Statistics have shown that there’s a rather high demand for the iPhone. Roughly 7 million UK-residents rate their purchase interest as “strong”. I would be willing to bet other Europeans think alike.

So Germany, France, and UK residence get ready because it looks like the iPhone is invading and at least 12% of you will fall victim to the all so mighty iPhone!



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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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