Archive for April, 2008

If an open-platform packed with power and backed by a huge developer community is your thing, then you're probably rocking a Windows Mobile device. Sure, there are complaints of stability and what-not, but chances are that your solid Windows Mobile device has started to stumble every now and again due to the same third-party applications that make the platform so appealing in the first place.

So, how are you going to scratch that itch for a fun and innovative interface like that on the iPhone? Why, put the iPhone UI on your Windows Mobile device, of course. The latest method to put the iPhone's multi-touch UI is Flick Software Research's "iSwish" and "iZoom." Flick Software Research is set to launch its iSwish UI and iZoom applications in beta-form in early May.

It's a complete rip of Apple's iPhone UI, but hey, if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em.

Flick

While the ability to download full-length movies straight to your mobile phone is still out of the question, CinemaNow makes it easier to download full-length movies to your computer. By serving up video trailers for a catalogue of 10,000 movies on your mobile phone, CinemaNow allows users to initiate downloads of movies from their mobile phones.

Simply head on over to the mobile website to view the company's catalogue of movies, watch trailers, and start downloading a movie to your desktop while you're on the road. Your download will start remotely and hopefully will be done and ready to view by the time you get back home.

Movie trailers are encoded in mobile-friendly H.264, so most people (iPhoners included) should have no problem browsing the collection of trailers on their mobile phones. Head on over to mobile.cinemanow.com from your cellphone and start viewing and buying your favorite movies remotely.

Full press release on the link.

CinemaNow and uVuMobile Launch First Service to Instantly Deliver Large Catalogue of Movies to Mobile Phone Users

Partnership Enables Consumers to Watch Trailers and Download Movies to Consumer Electronic Devices Directly from their Mobile Phones

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. and ATLANTA, Georgia — April 29, 2008 — CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com), the digital entertainment innovator in delivering high-quality Hollywood movies and TV shows across multiple platforms, and uVuMobile™, (OTCBB: UVUM.OB), a mobility software and services company that offers content providers, carriers, and entertainment brands a full suite of products to effectively deliver video and audio content to mobile handsets, announced today that they have integrated their technologies to offer a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) service that allows consumers to preview movie trailers and remotely download full-length movies to compatible consumer electronic devices directly from mobile phones.

"As Internet-enabled phones rise in popularity, companies need to keep pace with innovation, offering solutions which leverage that feature," said David Cook, president and COO of CinemaNow. "This partnership with uVuMobile has helped CinemaNow pioneer another first-to-market digital distribution method that we expect will make a tremendous difference in the industry by giving customers access to movies anytime, anywhere."

Users with Internet access on their mobile phones have the option to preview high-quality trailers prior to purchase from CinemaNow's comprehensive library of 10,000 movies, TV shows, and music videos. In addition, they can go directly to mobile.cinemanow.com to purchase a full-length version of the movie right from the mobile phone and download it to any of CinemaNow's Media Manager-enabled connected devices, including PCs, digital television sets (DTV), portable media players (PMP), set-top boxes (STB) and network attached storage (NAS) devices.

The CinemaNow WAP service is a combination of uVuMobile's Media Distribution Platform and CinemaNow's proprietary digital entertainment distribution technology. uVuMobile's Media Distribution Platform enables content owners to publish their content to mobile users on any carrier network and to multiple types of compatible devices. Leveraging CinemaNow's extensive catalog and its distribution technology, the resulting combined solution offers benefits that will be felt across the digital media landscape. For example, the CinemaNow WAP service enables online retailers to expand their delivery options, providing a more complete consumer experience.

"CinemaNow has always been at the leading edge of entertainment distribution, and we are confident our partnership will offer consumers a valuable new way to interact with their digital entertainment," said Scott Hughes, chief technology officer of uVuMobile. "uVuMobile excels in the portable video experience with our integrated mobile solutions. Combining our solutions with premium rental video content from CinemaNow creates an optimal 'on-the-go' service for consumers who are demanding a more flexible way to acquire and manage their digital entertainment. This is another strong example of how uVuMobile is helping set the pace for continued innovation and mobile device optimization."

About CinemaNow
CinemaNow, Inc. (www.cinemanow.com) is an innovator in digital entertainment technology, delivering high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. Founded in 1999, CinemaNow has partnered with some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics and digital entertainment including ARCHOS, EchoStar Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Macrovision, Microsoft, Samsung and Sonic Solutions to deliver thousands of video titles directly to consumers. CinemaNow works with more than 250 licensors including 20^th Century Fox, ABC News, Disney, HDNet, Lionsgate, MGM, Miramax, NBC Universal, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Sundance Channel and Warner Bros.

About uVuMobile
uVuMobile recognizes the ever-increasing demand for personalized, interactive entertainment content anytime and anywhere on media-enabled devices by offering a full suite of products that effectively deliver video and audio content to mobile handsets. uVuMobile provides back-end media hosting, application development, mobile marketing, messaging, content aggregation, billing, advertising and other services directed towards the mobile business-to-business market. These services are now available to entertainment brands, carriers, developers, aggregators, distribution partners and other players in the mobile value chain. uVuMobile now offers ad supported and white label mobile video services. For additional information, please visit www.uvumobile.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

For More Information, Contact

Bonnie Berkes
Ruder Finn for CinemaNow
310-882-4004
BerkesB@RuderFinn.com

Why not use that sexy iPhone in your pocket to get in touch with sexy members of the opposite sex? Well, DNA Dating has announced their new web-app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that gives iPhoners access to the new online dating network wherever, whenever.

Simply point your iPhone's Safari browser to http://www.datingdna.com/iphone and start browsing photos of other compatible singles on your iPhone. Profiles are served up using a compatibility scoring system - your "dating DNA" - to help increase the chances that you'll run into someone you're likely to vibe well with. When you find a possible match, add them to your "DNA Strand" to make a future contact or just keep their profile handy.

Dating DNA is based on a person's unique "dating DNA" identifier. Just like your double-helix DNA that determines everything from hair color to your susceptibility to certain cancers, Dating DNA helps you determine your compatibility with other singles by assigning a 9-digit "dating DNA" number to every user. The number is based on a questionnaire on the company's website.

"Not only is it our desire to allow everyone to use their Dating DNA Number all across the Internet's social graph, but we also want to make our services available on a wide array of Internet devices, such as the iPhone," said Kevin Carmony, CEO of Dating DNA.

[Via: MacDailyNews]

Writing for Fortune, ex-The Street writer Moritz cites industry sources in speculating that AT&T may be subsidizing the next-generation 3G iPhone to the tune of $199. The price subsidy would help cut the expected $399 and $499 (for the 8GB and 16GB variants, respectively) price tags to a more easily swallowed $199 and $299.

AT&T is preparing to subsidize $200 of the cost of a new iPhone, bringing the price down to $199 for customers who sign two-year contracts, the source says. Apple is expected to have two versions of the new iPhone, an 8-gigabyte-memory and a 16-gigabyte-memory model with price tags widely expected to be $399 and $499.

Apple has previously prohibited iPhone carriers from subsidizing the iPhone, and has even required that carriers kick-back a portion of iPhone-generated monthly revenue to Cupertino. But, recent moves to clear out iPhone inventories have seen Apple allowing iPhone carriers in the UK and Germany to subsidize the current iPhone's selling price. Futhermore, rumors are swirling that the next-generation iPhone will hit certain carriers unlocked and without contract - hinting that Apple is considering a radical change to their current iPhone business model.

Apple's newly relaxed stance on the iPhone-carrier relationship bodes well for the prospect of seeing an AT&T subsidy on the 3G iPhone. But, Moritz's mention that the next-gen iPhone will sport a 9.2mm thick casing (2.5mm thinner than the current iPhone) while still managing to pack in a 3G radio and GPS receiver, goes against other speculation (from more reliable sources) that the 3G iPhone will actually be thicker. It should be noted that the possibility of a thinner iPhone variant has been thrown into the mix, but the smaller iPhone would exclude the GPS hardware. Is Moritz and his source simply confused on which iPhone rumor to spin off from?

We're not going to hold out breath on this one - mostly because the speculation comes from unreliable rumor-monger Scott Moritz.

Still, the "source" says that the 3G iPhone will be launched on or around June 27 to coincide roughly with the one-year anniversary of the iPhone's initial global launch in the US. So, we'll just have to wait and see which portions, of this latest rumor pans out.

[Via: Fortune]

Is Apple planning on a smaller variant to its iconic iPhone? According to Taiwan Economic News, sources in the supply chain are indicating that a lighter-weight and smaller variant of the iPhone is in the pipeline. Weighing in at 110-120g, compared to the current iPhone's 158g weight, the smaller iPhone is said to forgo the aluminum-magnesium casing in favor of a lighter plastic casing. Helping to shave weight, the smaller iPhone is also rumored to sport a 2.8-inch multi-touch display in place of the current iPhone's 3.5-inch multi-touch display.

The new report comes in contradiction to other rumors that Apple's next-generation 3G iPhone would add heft and bulk to accommodate a built-in GPS receiver. But, that doesn't mean both rumors can't pan out. There are indications that Apple is planning to silence criticism about the company's one-trick-pony iPhone offering by launching different iPhone variants to suit different needs. The highest-end iPhone would be the 3G iPhone sporting true GPS, with a possibility of the current generation iPhone (or something quite similar) locking down the mid-range, while a pared-down version of the iPhone would offer bare-bones iPhone goodness in the lower-end.

We'll have to wait and see just how Apple plans to play this one out. Keep in mind, Apple likes to confuse speculators by commissioning purposely misleading hardware prototypes.

For me, I'd rather keep the bulk down by nixing the GPS hardware. If Apple offers 3G iPhone variants with GPS and without, I'll probably be going for the GPS-less model.

Who am I kidding, it's going to be hard to stop myself from going with the top-of-the-line model.  Anyone out there actually think that a 3G iPhone with GPS is unnecessary?

[Via: cens]

Fancy a new iPhone from AT&T but hate the fact that you'll have to pay for voice service that you just won't use? Well, whether you're hard of hearing or just plain averse to talking to other human beings, AT&T has a new text messaging-based for the iPhone. Dubbed the Text Messaging Accessibility Plan for the iPhone (TAP), the new plan allows iPhone hopefuls to do away with the unneeded voice-call portion of their plan in favor of unlimited SMS text messages and unlimited data.

For $40 a month, iPhone users with the TAP plan can expect to text and browse the web to their heart's content, without having to worry about getting those annoying incoming voice calls. Voice calls can still be made, however, at $0.40 per minute - which means the voice calls will basically be limited to emergency use only. On the up-side, you can vote as many times as you like for your fav American Idol.

To get TAP on your iPhone, you'll need to fill out an eligibility form that requires you to prove your disability with a Certification of Disability. So, if you just want to use that iPhone as a fancy text messaging and web browsing platform but find your sense of hearing more than acute, you'll need to find some way to get that certification.

AT&T

Apple has finally managed to agree with Rogers Wireless to push the sales of its flagship handset to Canada. We talked about this on and on in the past, and I'm sad to say we don't have much of the details today.

Roger's President and CEO, Ted Rogers, issued a statement, saying only: "We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."

And tuned, we stay…

Damn Colorware and their awesome painting jobs. For a second I thought this is the long-awaited bad-ass 3G iPhone. It's all black, looks so mean and comes with a matching earphones and iPhone dock. But no, they just made it look like that, without changing anything in terms of specs. Not that we expected Colorware to do so — it's not their business after all — however we haven't expected them to release a product that could clearly resemble the 2nd-gen iPhone. That's so mean from them.

The Stealth iPhone rocks and is priced accordingly. In order to have the meanest looking iPhone in the block, prepare to pour out $675 for 8GB, or $775 for 16GB model. That's a lot…

[Via: Gizmodo]

We must be getting closer to the 3G iPhone's launch. How do we know? Well, aside from the rumored June 9 launch at Apple's WWDC, the blogosphere is lit up with frenzied rumors of new features in the 3G iPhone as well as speculation at new features to be enabled with the coming iPhone OS 2.0 firmware update.

From iPhone hardware to iPhone software features, Apple-fans can expect more functionality and ever more usability from the 3G iPhone and the current iPhone's next OS update.

The most intriguing rumors for the next-generation iPhone hint at true-blue GPS hardware within the 3G iPhone. With a dedicated GPS receiver inside, the 3G iPhone is said to gain a minimal increase in case thickness - and, of course, the hardware will allow for the kind of pin-point positional accuracy that cell-tower triangulation just can't achieve.

Then there's talk about Apple licensing haptic feedback touchscreen technology from Immersion. Apple and Immersion execs have reportedly pow-wow'ed twice last week to discuss the integration of Immersion's vibration feedback technology in future touchscreen devices from Apple. Immersion is the firm behind the haptic feedback technology that simulates button-presses with vibrations on the upcoming Samsung Instinct.

Integrating haptic feedback technology would help the iPhone bring some tactile feedback to the multi-touch display - an aspect of the iPhone that has been widely criticized. We can only hope that the haptic technology that Apple is considering offers localized haptics, allowing for location-specific vibrations rather than whole-device vibrations.

Recently published patents also point to Apple revamping their touchscreen UI. Three new patents have been issued to Apple that detail new input methods on the iPhone. The patents cover new ways to organize UI elements, input text, and gestures for selecting and deleting text. Combined with the haptic feedback, we could see a revised multi-touch UI for the iPhone and 3G iPhone.

Now, as far as the current-generation iPhone is concerned, the upcoming iPhone OS 2.0 firmware update should go live with built-in Jabber support. The developer-version of the firmware makes references to the open-source XMPP framework that underlies Jabber's Instant Messaging technology. Unfortunately, the framework seems to be off-limits to all developers outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters. The consensus is that the XMPP framework will be used by Apple in an iPhone chat client.

Finally, the iPhone OS 2.0 beta firmware has revealed support for something called iControl. The iControl utility would allow iPhone and iPod Touch users to wirelessly access and stream content from their home-based iTunes libraries. The ability to view and control locally-networked media from the iPhone corresponds quite nicely with an old Apple patent covering a technology that would allow the iPhone to not only stream media, but also control media playback via a "portable media player."

Rumors are going to only get more and more interesting as we close in on the 3G iPhone and iPhone OS 2.0 firmware's launch. Stay tuned…

Sure, static wallpaper images help to gussy up the otherwise staid background image on the iPhone's glorious 3.5-inch multi-touch display. But, if static images are starting to lose their luster, you'll be glad to hear that you can now use videos as your iPhone's wallpaper With the help of yet another useful third-party application, vWallpaper, iPhone users can turn any properly sized .mov movie file into a moving wallpaper. The video wallpaper is splashed behind the homescreen's icons.

The result looks like this:

You'll need to jailbreak your iPhone, and add the "i.danstaface.net" application repository to your "Source" list. Click here for jailbreak instructions, and here for the tutorial on how to add third-party repositories to your "Source" list.

After editing your videos to their proper format, you'll need to SSH into your iPhone and add the videos to the correct directory. Here's how:

• Connect to your local WiFi network.
• Find your iPhone's IP address by navigating to Settings>WiFi and hitting the blue arrow next to your WiFi network.
• Fire up Cyberduck on your Mac or WinSCP on your Windows machine and log into "sftp://xxx.xxx.xx.x" with username "root" and password "alpine"
• Put videos into these directories:
  • /Applications/vWallpaper.app/Library/Skrew/Videos
  • /Library/Skrew/Videos

Head on over to modmyifone for some video examples.

Widgetbox has announced its iPhone widget gallery, which "extends the world's largest gallery of widgets to the screens of millions of iPhone users around the world."

A range of select widgets are immediately available in the Widgetbox iPhone Gallery — including widgets for today's top ten most interesting flickr images, the Fake Steve Jobs blog, the Yahoo! News RSS image feeds and the popular Magic 8-Ball widget for on-the-fly advice. In addition, Widgetbox expects its community of more than 32,000 developers and widget makers to create new and optimize existing widgets for the iPhone. For them, Widgetbox prepared a short tutorial on how to develop widgets for Apple's handset and iPod Touch.

Commenting on the announcement, Widgetbox's CEO Will Price said: "By hosting a new widget gallery customized for the iPhone, Widgetbox and the widget-making community are able to increase the reach and customization for messages targeted at specific audiences."

To try out Widgetbox iPhone widgets, simply point Safari from your iPhone or iPod Touch to iphone.widgetbox.com and take it from there.

I caught a glimpse of the AT&T WiFi HotSpot service at the Starbucks down the street from me the other day. And, it seems that AT&T is now officially gearing up to deploy its AT&T HotSpot service across the nation. starting on May 1, AT&T high-speed internet and WiFi HotSpot customers get free WiFi access at all AT&T HotSpot locations, including those at Starbucks countrywide.

T-Mobile will be phased out as the WiFi HotSpot provider at all Starbucks locations in the US.

The move will presumably roll out iPhone-specific WiFi portals at all AT&T HotSpot locations.

Full PR on the link.

AT&T Wi-Fi Service to Be Available Soon in U.S. Company-Operated Starbucks Locations With a Wireless Hot Spot; San Antonio Stores First to Deliver Complete AT&T Experience

SAN ANTONIO, Texas and SEATTLE, Wash., April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced the beginning of the rollout of AT&T Wi-Fi (SM) service at company-operated Starbucks stores, kicking off a nationwide effort that will continue through 2008. At the 2008 AT&T Inc. Annual Meeting of Stockholders in San Antonio, chairman and chief executive officer Randall Stephenson announced that the companies have already started the deployment of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations in San Antonio, making it the first market to deliver the complete AT&T Wi-Fi experience in the U.S.

Also, as of May 1, qualifying AT&T high speed Internet and Wi-Fi customers will have complimentary Wi-Fi access at more than 7,000 Starbucks locations nationwide. For millions of AT&T customers, that means more speed in more places — and for free — is on its way.

"With the power of our Wi-Fi network, and through our partnership with Starbucks, we're strengthening our ability to meet the needs of today's mobile consumer virtually anywhere and everywhere," Stephenson said. "Expanding our reach across company-operated Starbucks locations nationwide helps us bridge the gap between our wired and wireless offerings and affirms AT&T's commitment to connect people with their worlds, everywhere they live and work."

"We continue to build on the experience we know our customers expect from us," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks. "By partnering with AT&T as our U.S. Wi-Fi provider we aim to deliver a better value, greater convenience and seamless connectivity in a mobility centric world to our customers."

As of May 1, qualifying AT&T customers can connect to the Internet from Wi-Fi enabled company-operated Starbucks locations nationwide by simply selecting "ATTWiFi" after powering up their computers. Free AT&T Wi-Fi service is currently offered with AT&T's three higher-speed residential broadband packages, all small business broadband packages and with all AT&T U-verse(SM) offerings with high speed Internet service.

For other customers, AT&T Wi-Fi service will reach company-operated Starbucks locations on a market-by-market basis throughout the year. The experience will include a mix of free and paid connection options for both frequent and occasional Wi-Fi users and qualifying Starbucks customers. Once AT&T Wi-Fi service is available, customers will be able to shop and surf both Starbucks' and AT&T's respective home pages for products and services.

The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers. The San Antonio launch delivers on the companies' joint commitment to begin the rollout of AT&T Wi-Fi service this spring.

AT&T is the nation's largest Wi-Fi provider.(1) In addition to offering access from more than 17,000 hot spots in the United States, the company provides Wi-Fi access from more than 71,000 hot spots around the world, including roaming locations.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/.

About Starbucks Coffee Company
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world. Today, with nearly 16,000 stores and more than 170,000 partners (employees) in 44 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at http://www.starbucks.com/.

It's not everyday that we see even a modicum of concern from Cupertino regarding public (by which I mean the blogosphere's) opinion on any Apple product. That said, it's good to see that the newly released iPhone SDK beta could allow applications to run processes in the background - opening the door for true multi-tasking possibilities on the iPhone.

Third-party iPhone application developers have been lamenting Apple's decision to limit applications from running processes in the background, while Apple's own applications (Mail, Safari, iTunes) are allowed to keep running while other applications are being used. The restriction would keep applications like Instant Messaging clients and email clients from functioning properly.

But, things are looking up for the iPhone developer community. An anonymous developer has found that the new iPhone SDK beta seems to allow for processes to run in the background.

There are definitely some very interesting methods added to UIApplication’s delegate, including methods for badging the Springboard icon, and methods related to gaining and resigning "active" status - seems like background apps may be permitted somehow.

If Apple is really changing their game-plan for third-party applications on the iPhone, we can expect to see some truly practical applications hitting the AppStore in a couple months.

[Via: BGR]

It looks like the price cut that O2 UK implemented on the 8GB iPhone variant in the UK boosted sales beyond even Apple's expectations. Reports were trickling in that stores across the country were running low or completely out of stock on 8GB iPhones. Now, we're hearing reports that all retail channels in the UK are sold out of iPhone 8GB stock, with no plans for any re-stocking shipments. Carphone Warehouse's website indicates that the iPhone 8GB is "out of stock," while O2's website shows the handset as "no longer available."

O2 has even issued an internal memo letting its retail staff know that they "will not be replenishing stock of this product as it has now gone to end of life.

Apple has apparently given the iPhone 8GB an end-of-life kiss, effectively discontinuing the handset in the UK. Just as the lower price point started to boost sales of the 8GB iPhone, Apple has up and stopped shipping new stock.

The discontinued iPhone 8GB could indicate that the 3G iPhone launch could happen sooner than the expected June 9 launch window. We'll have to wait and see.

To all you UK iPhone  hopefuls: best of luck trying to find an iPhone 8GB.

[Via: Apple Insider]

Following previous rumors that indicated that the next-generation iPhone would be made available in Italy without contract or carrier-lock, we're hearing that the next destination for an unlocked 3G iPhone could be Belgium.

Apple has been open to different business models for its iPhone, and it seems that the company is embracing the notion of offering unlocked versions of its iconic iPhone at premium price-points. Belgian site Astel.be is reporting that Apple is looking to bring the 3G iPhone to Belgium's three major wireless providers - Proximus, Mobistar and BASE. The carriers are said to be preparing special, iPhone-specific wireless rate plans ahead of the anticipated launch of the next-generation iPhone.

Mobistar is apparently expected to have a two-month exclusivity window on the 3G iPhone, with the remaining Belgian carriers getting the 3G iPhone's graces by year's end.

June-ish is the rumored launch window, we'll keep our ears to the ground on this one.

[Via: AppleInsider]