Nokia to announce Microsoft deal, denies ditching Symbian

Apple has released a software patch to address a recently described security flaw in the iPhone.

Experts revealed on Thursday that modified SMS messages could result in iPhones being disconnected from the network or hijacked altogether.

Apple said phones incorporating other mobile operating systems, such as Windows Mobile and Google Android, were also potentially vulnerable.

It added that no-one had actually used the flaw to gain access to an iPhone.

A spokesperson for O2, the iPhone’s service provider in the UK, said: “We will be communicating to customers both through the website and proactively. We always recommend our customers update their iPhone with the latest software and this is no different.”

Access all areas

Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner told the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas that the hack works by slightly modifying the data – sent by the network and which the user does not see – that arrives as part of a text message.

The system that processes such messages is similar across different operating systems and can, once compromised, gain access across a range of applications including a phone’s address book or camera.

The team say that hackers could develop programs to exploit the weakness in as little as two weeks, but told the conference that publicising the means of attack was necessary to ensure the problem was addressed.

“If we don’t talk about it, somebody is going to do it silently. The bad guys are going to do it no matter what,” Mr Mulliner, an independent security expert, said.

The team wrote software to exploit the weakness, targeting iPhones on four networks in Germany as well as AT&T in the US. However, they believe it would work equally well in any country.

The approach is particularly dangerous because messages are delivered automatically, and users cannot tell that they have received the malicious code.

The problem could be fixed by directly patching the vulnerability in smartphones’ operating systems, or the network providers could scan for messages that look to be trying to gain access to phones via the malicious code.

The researchers said they had informed Google of the hack and that the company had already taken steps to address the problem.

The Black Hat gathering, part of a leading series of conferences for information and computer security experts, took place from 25 to 30 July.

Apple were not available to comment on the flaw.

Source: BBC News

Apple‘s Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on June 8 in San Francisco, has traditionally been the site of the Mac maker’s biggest announcements. This year will be no different, with the event expected to host the debut of a new iPhone running a powerful new operating system. On the computer side, WWDC attendees will hear details of Apple’s next-generation operating system, Snow Leopard.

Apple will almost definitely unveil its new iPhone at WWDC, although likely it won’t go on sale for a couple of weeks after that. The first iPhone went on sale in late June 2007 and the second in early July 2008. The new model will be named the iPhone Video, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog. (See also Apple Planning Video-Call iPhone.)

iPhone 3.0

The biggest change for the iPhone will be its software. iPhone 3.0 will support copy, cut and paste (finally!), and push notification for applications. Push notification will be a workaround for the iPhone’s lack of support of background apps, to allow tools such as instant-messaging apps to send alerts to the user when an update is available.

The new built-in Spotlight app will allow users to search applications and their data.

Another sign of progress: Using iPhone 3.0, developers will be able to write applications that provide turn-by-turn directions for driving and walking — previously a no-no under the Apple terms of service.

Bluetooth On Board

The software will support peer-to-peer connectivity over Bluetooth, allowing developers to write multiplayer games that users can play on two or more iPhones without needing an Internet connection.

Peer-to-peer connections will also allow iPhone users to exchange data, such as electronic business cards. And If you’re sick of untangling your earbud headphones, take heart: The new iPhone software will support stereo Bluetooth audio.

The iPhone 3.0 software will include a couple of additional goodies for developers: They’ll be able to write software applications that tie into particular hardware devices; for example, when Apple demoed the software in March, it showed a glucose reader for diabetics with its own application for recording data and calculating recommended insulin doses.

And developers will be able to sell content from within applications; game developers will be able to sell add-ons, magazines will be able to sell subscriptions, and e-book readers will be able to sell e-books.

When will the software be available? Possibly as early as this coming week. The software will be free to existing iPhone users, iPod Touch users will have to pay $9.95.

Hello, Faster Chips

On the hardware side, one of the most significant features of the new iPhone will be its new processor. The original iPhone and last year’s iPhone 3G used the same 400 MHz processor, but the new iPhone will likely have a 600 MHz processor, writes John Gruber on the blog Daring Fireball.

The change won’t be just a little speed boost, it’ll be transformative, he writes:

Much of what the iPhone does now is constrained by its CPU. App launching speed, for one thing — faster app launching should make it feel more like switching between apps and less like quitting/relaunching them.

Faster processor speeds will also significantly speed up Web page rendering.

The new model iPhone will have double the RAM of existing models, 256 MB. “Prices will stay the same — $199 and $299 — but storage will increase to 16 and 32 GB,” Gruber says.

Also look for a possible 4GB iPhone 3G for $99. That’s according to a report on the Boy Genius Report, a popular mobile blog. But my colleague Eric Zeman is skeptical, noting that the first-generation iPhone came in a 4 GB model that was discontinued after a few months. I agree; I think people who’ve already decided to buy an iPhone will pay a little more for a lot more memory.

Changes to the size and shape of the iPhone, and how it looks and feels will be “subtle, perhaps very subtle. I expect that cases designed for the iPhone 3G will continue to fit the new iPhone, and that the only colors will remain black and white,” Gruber says. Despite the faster CPU, he expects improved battery life for the new iPhone.

The new iPhone will also probably have a magnetometer — a/k/a a compass. Now applications won’t just know where you are, they’ll also know what direction you’re facing. I have a feeling this will open the door to vastly richer location-aware applications. Like what, exactly? If I could tell you that, I’d write the apps myself and make a million dollars off the app store.

The Mobile Safari browser will also support geolocation, according to Computerworld; so no more need to type your zip code or address into the browser to tell it where you are to find local restaurants, bank branches, or auto-repair shops; geolocation support will also lead to more targeted Web ads.

The new iPhone will likely support video recording, making it a tough competitor for inexpensive, point-and-shoot digital video cameras like the Flip, Gruber says. The iPhone will have video uploading capabilities, so you’ll be able to upload short clips to video-sharing sites like YouTube as soon as you take them.

MacRumors has a screenshot that appears to show the video-recording application at work; it’s pretty much the same as the existing Camera app but with additional buttons to allow you to choose between still and video.

Other features that will probably appear in the new iPhone include Wi-Fi movie and TV downloads, and an improved camera, at least 3.2 megapixels, up from 2 megapixels on the current model.

So when will the hardware be available? Did Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal slip up when he referred to “the new iPhone to be unveiled next week”? The blog AppleiPhoneApps is reporting the release date will be July 17. I don’t buy it; that would be almost six weeks during which Apple fans would be waiting impatiently for the next-generation iPhone — and, more importantly, not spending their money on buying current model iPhones. That kind of delay would cost Apple a lot of money. My gut feeling is that we’ll see the new iPhones at about the same time as we saw previous generations, late June or early July.

Snow [Leopard] In Summer?

And what about Snow Leopard? Expect Apple to release more information about that operating system, unveiled a year ago. The new version will focus more on speed, scalability and stability than new features. It will be optimized for multicore processors using technology called “Grand Central,” and designed to facilitate future innovation.

It will lift the theoretical system memory limit to 16 TB, up from 4 TB today. The software will support technology Apple is calling “Open Computing Language,” for improved graphic processing performance. And it will include QuickTime X, a revised and optimized version of Apple media technology, native support forMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Exchange, and a faster implementation of JavaScript. Still unknown: When Snow Leopard will ship.

Now here are a couple of things you won’t see at WWDC:

First, you won’t see the rumored Apple Tablet. Apple is reportedly working on an inexpensive tablet computer, its answer to netbooks, for availability in 2010. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said last month that Apple is working on a tablet with a 7-10-inch touch screen, selling at $500-$700, and filling a gap between the $400 iPod Touch and $1,000 MacBook.

Evidence pointing to such a device is coming from Piper Jaffray component contacts in Asia, as well as from recent Apple patents related to multitouch technology, comments to financial analysts in April by chief operating officer Tim Cook, Apple’s acquisition of chip designer P.A. Semi, and recent chip-related hires, Munster said. “It is increasingly clear that Apple is investing more in its mobile computing franchise.”

My gut feeling is that Apple is, indeed, working on this product. The iPhone and iPod Touch are already perfectly fine tablet computers; a bigger display would make them even more useful. But I don’t expect to see Apple talking about the product at WWDC. Apple doesn’t want to take focus from the iPhone and Snow Leopard.

Moreover, Apple likes to announce products around the time of their availability. The company is sensitive to cannibalizing sales, and an announced, but unavailable tablet would lead some consumers to put off buying low-end MacBooks, iPhones, and iPod Touches and wait for the tablet to come.

The iPhone was the exception to the rule about advance announcements — Apple announced it in Jan. 2007 for availability almost six months later. But this was Apple’s entry into a completely new product line and business; it had no existing products to cannibalize sales from.

Steve Jobs Due Back Soon; Fanfare Not Expected

Another thing you won’t see at WWDC — or, rather, a person you won’t see, is Steve Jobs. Apple announced Jobs was taking medical leave of absence in December to deal with a dire digestive problem — his body was not absorbing nutrients, leaning to drastic weight loss. Jobs survived cancer surgery in 2004, his gaunt appearance last year fueled rumors that the cancer had returned. Apple said in December that Jobs would be back in June, and he’s been taking a role in strategic Apple decisions since then.

Jobs is recovering nicely, ready to get back to work, and might well put in a surprise appearance at WWDC, according to a report that ran Friday on The Wall Street Journal

But I don’t think Jobs will make a big appearance at WWDC. He might take a quick stroll of the show floor, and if he does it’ll surely create huge buzz on the news and in blogs, but that’s the most I think we can expect to see from Jobs at the conference.

My gut feeling is that Jobs will simply return to work, at the end of this month, without any external announcements. It seems like his style to send an all-hands e-mail to Apple employees and then get to work without any further ado.

US law may require Apple to make a short press release on his return, but I don’t think we’ll see any further hoopla from Apple when Jobs returns to work. He’ll make his first public performance a few weeks or a few months afterward, at an earnings conference call or the next time Apple has a new product or service to announce.

Source: InformationWeek

A source closely connected to Apple’s hardware team claims to possess knowledge of the next-generation iPhone’s specifications and release date.

The source told iPhone fan blog Apple iPhone Apps that the new iPhone will launch July 17. Many of the provided specifications corroborate with past rumors that the device will introduce a digital compass and a video recorder, among other features. (The source did not provide a photo; the image to the right is from a past rumor report for the sake of comparison.) Here’s the list:

• 32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models)
• $199 and $299 price points to be maintained
• 3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera)
• Video-recording and editing capabilities
• Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
• Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
• OLED screen
• 1.5 times the battery life of the current models
• Double the RAM and processing power
• Built-in FM transmitter
• Apple logo on back will glow
• Rubber-tread backing
• Sleeker design
• Built-in compass
• The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
• Turn-by-turn directions

Overall, if these claims are true, this is a relatively minor upgrade. The most notable new features would be the built-in compass (which appeared in earlier rumor reports), the video recorder and editor (the current iPhones don’t support video recording unless you Jailbreak them), the built-in FM transmitter and the OLED screen (which would improve battery life).

One of the features that sticks out to me is the built-in FM transmitter. I see no compelling reason for Apple to put this in the iPhone, as it is not a feature that users have been demanding, and it hasn’t appeared in other iPods.

Another specification I find strange is the OLED screen. That would be a welcome change because it would look nicer than the current LCD screen. But OLEDs are generally pricey, and if the current price points are maintained, I’m not sure if I believe this one.

Otherwise, the rest of the specifications appear not too far-fetched. If the source is simply taking shots in the dark, then most of these specifications are very conservative guesses derived from previous rumor reports.

What do you think, readers? I’m curious as to whether this list of purported specifications is enough to get you to upgrade from a current iPhone. Or if you don’t own one, will you buy one if these rumored features turn out to be true? Let us know in the comments below.

I, for one, will be standing in line for Apple’s next iPhone this summer whether or not these rumors are true. After all, my iPhone is resting in rice.

Source: WIRED

iPhone and iPod users may experience a “small and quick” shock via their earbuds due to a buildup of static electricity, Apple warned Monday.

People listening to one of the devices in extremely dry air are most at risk of receiving a static electricity shock through the ear buds, according to a warning posted on Apple’s Web site. The post likened the condition to the discharge that occurs when a person drags his or her feet across a carpet then gets a shock by touching a door knob.

However, Apple asserted that this condition did not necessarily indicate that Apple’s equipment was malfunctioning.

“This condition is not limited to Apple hardware and static can potentially build up on almost any hardware and could be discharged using any brand of earbuds,” Apple said.

Apple’s warning didn’t mention what prompted the company to issue the warning, but a discussion thread on the company’s support site showed a few users had voiced concern about the condition.

“Maybe it’s just me but for a couple of weeks now my earphones are delivering little electric shocks into my ears,” wrote one reader. “I just wonder if anyone else is going through this issue.”

Apple made several suggestions in the warning on how to remedy the condition when indoors, including the use of a humidifier to raise the moisture level of the air, hand lotions to moisturize dry skin, or an anti-static spray. The site also recommends users wear clothes made of natural fibers instead of synthetic fibers. When users are outdoors, Apple suggests users keep their device in a bag or a case to keep it out of the wind and refrain from frequently removing it from pockets as the rubbing may cause static buildup.

Source: CNET News

You may not remember me; the last time we talked was nearly four years ago. I was impressed with your promises that I could soon watch my favorite movies and TV shows — so impressed I didn’t hesitate to put my iPod Photo on Craigslist and preorder a black, 60GB iPod Video from your Website. Since then, you have betrayed me.

I can forget the facts that you now have variable priced songs; don’t offer a solution for putting movies I have on DVD on iTunes; and that my iPod, like the two before it, mysteriously started acting quirky as soon as you released a new model.

apple iphoneI cannot forgive you for making one of your newest and frankly, coolest gadgets I have ever seen, essentially inaccessible to me.

I am a college student and money is usually tight. I admit I could probably raise funds to buy a new iPod, but the last thing I want is to pay $30 a month for it after that for data service.

That’s right, I don’t have an iPhone. My left pocket gets a little tight from inconveniently carrying two devices that so many have traded in for one.

I have spent the last two years despising you, but you have managed to catch my attention again.

I recently read you have been talking with Verizon Wireless about bringing a smaller and less expensive iPhone to its network. Less expensive is good, but what about those monthly data fees?

I think you are alienating many potential customers who are willing to pay a premium upfront for a nice phone but aren’t concerned about accessing the Web anywhere and everywhere. Honestly, it would be cool to check my e-mail while walking between classes, but I don’t use Twitter or Facebook and I don’t see constant connection as a necessity. Comcast is lucky I pay my $45 every month to have Internet access at home; don’t expect I’ll bend over and pay for access to the same Internet twice.

Fees aside, the potential of keeping Verizon as my wireless carrier is exciting. I’m not going to say that I’m a fan of my service, but switching sounds like a lot of work.

Also, nice work on adding MMS messaging to the 3.0 OS. Photo messages have daily use in my life and I was appalled when my iPhone-owning friend wasn’t able to get my messages. I might be getting your advertising wrong, but shouldn’t there be an app for that?

I’ve also read you might add video functionality, which would be pretty cool. Like many people my age, I love videos. I recently started looking into buying a Flip Mino so I can join the masses on YouTube. I might hold out to see what you have to offer later this year. After all, I can only fit so many things into my pockets.

I have to be honest, Apple. If rumors are true you might have recaptured my interest. I just have one favor to ask as a friend: Don’t forget me again. I can only take so much neglect before I take my MP3 player/phone purchases to where I buy my computers. After all, isn’t Microsoft working on some sort of media player/phone?

Yours Truly,

Paul Suarez

PS – I was just kidding about that Microsoft thing. I mean, seriously — they lost me at Pink.

Source: PCWorld

Of the major companies that announced their earnings yesterday, two of them, AT&T and Apple, beat Wall Street estimates largely thanks to a single product: The iPhone. We’re approaching the two year birthday of the device, and it still remains one of the hottest items out there. Ladies and gentleman, the state of the iPhone is strong.

Yes, Apple actually sold less iPhones this quarter than the previous two quarters, but that was coming off of the always-hot holiday shopping quarter, and the one before that was when the iPhone 3G was still relatively new on the scene. All told, Apple has sold 21 million iPhones since its launch. Perhaps just a drop in the bucket compared to overall Nokia sales, but remember, Apple was not in the mobile business at all before 2007. And aside from just sales figures, in the past two years, it has revolutionized the industry. That is, of course, a cliche. But in this case, it’s true.

People can downplay the actual number of iPhones in circulation all they want — the fact of the matter is that it has changed things. While there were some third-party mobile app developers before Apple’s App Store, they received almost no attention, and as such, it wasn’t really a viable business. Now, everyone and their mother is flocking to develop for the App Store. And every major mobile player is rushing to make their own app stores. But Apple’s already has over 35,000 apps — and in a few short hours, there will have been one billion apps downloaded in just 9 month.

Think about that for a second: One billion apps downloaded. There are currently 37 million iPhones and iPod touches combined. Certainly, there have been a lot less than that over various stages in the last nine months, but just take that 37 million number. That means that every single one of those devices has had an average of 27 apps downloaded to it. 27 apps — that do everything from games to music to movie times to fetching me a taxi.

I remember the phone I had before the iPhone, fondly: Motorola’s RAZR. It had zero third-party apps, and the most exciting thing it could do was take a grainy picture. That was just two years ago.

Look, Apple’s iPhone platform is not perfect. The app approval process, to put it lightly, sucks. There are apps getting rejected for questionable reasons, that are forced to wait weeks to just be reviewed again. And then there are other apps which feature outrageous things, which get accepted without the slightest peep. Apple needs to revamp this system.

And the network is far from perfect as well. AT&T seems to have a failure rate that is unacceptable to a lot of people. Some have gotten rid of their iPhones just to ditch AT&T.

But the fact of the matter is, that iPhone is simply the best all-in-one device that I’ve ever owned. I cannot imagine my life without it now. I would be lost — sometimes literally — without it. I say that because I know that of the 21 million iPhone owners out there — there are a great deal who feel the exact same way. That may be annoying, and may even sound pretentious to those who don’t own an iPhone — but I’m giving you my honest take as someone who has owned and/or tried a lot of the so-called “smartphones” out there. I have a G1. I have a Nokia N95. I’ve used a number of Blackberry devices. None compare. And I think for a lot of the other devices, it actually speaks less to the iPhone itself and more to the shit products that the other mobile companies have gotten away with putting on the market for so long.

And thanks in no small part to the iPhone, that could be about the change. Google’s Android platform was long seen as the next big thing, but so far, the only phone to run it, the G1, is junk. That should, hopefully change before the end of this year when new Android phones hit the market. But before then, the first real challenger should be coming — perhaps next month — with the Palm Pre. I’ve known a few people who have used the Pre a bit, and the consensus seems to be that it is the first true competitor, in terms of experience (both hardware and software), to the iPhone.

But it has some major handicaps — ones that I’ve already mentioned: 21 million, 35,000, and 1 billion. The iPhone has established itself as the standard that all mobile platforms now aspire to be. And with so much developer mindshare tied up in the platform, it will be hard for any other to come along and compete. The Pre, simply put, has to actually be better than the iPhone, if it wants to stand a chance.

For a while, it seemed like that would be the case. When the Pre was first unveiled, major hype immediately began. It had all the features the iPhone didn’t. But Apple isn’t stupid. It didn’t rush out with a buggy software update to match all the features. Instead, it sat back, worked, and then dropped the iPhone 3.0 software bomb. Not only does its update coming this summer include many of the features the Pre was touting as advantages, but it has a lot more that the Pre doesn’t offer.

And the Trojan Horse, that not a lot of people are talking about yet, is that the 3.0 software’s micro-payments system (In-App Purchases) could take the iPhone to an even higher level in terms of developer commitment. It could represent a whole new level of money for them — and Apple.

Oh yeah, and there is likely new iPhone hardware coming shortly as well.

Of course, there are still two major differentiating factors that the Pre will offer: a physical keyboard and background applications.

To me, the physical keyboard argument is a short-term one. Yes, a lot of people right now insist on having a physical keyboard — something which Apple has refused to provide. But Apple is doing that because it knows that they are not in the cards for the future of mobile devices. In the not-too-distant future, there will be screens with full haptic feedback and let you orient your hands on them. Physical keyboards will be seen for what they are: A huge waste of space.

The larger issue is background applications. Apple still refuses to run them (from third parties). You might think this is an obvious advantage for the Pre, but there are some major potential downsides. One is performance. How will the device run when multi-tasking? But the larger issue is battery life. I have a G1 that runs applications in the background. The battery life is a joke. If you think the iPhone has a poor battery, try using the G1 for a day. Or should I say, try using the G1 for about 3 hours. Good luck.

Some developers say that if an app is made correctly, it shouldn’t drain a battery to such an extent even while running in the background. They often cite older Nokia phones and the like with applications as examples. But those older phones ran applications that are nowhere near as advanced as we have now in the post-iPhone world. If applications can be optimized for battery life, no one told the developers on the Android platform.

And so, I have my doubts about the Pre’s main advantage, actually being an advantage at all. Again, Apple is a lot of things, but it is not stupid. If it thought allowing applications to run in the background was the best play in keeping customers happy, it would do it. Instead, it went throught the painstaking process of completely redeveloping the Push Notification system to get it working. It seems to say something that now Palm has a similar service it has built into the Pre SDK, called Mojo Messaging Service.

Apple, with its still relatively small overall market share, is in a position of power right now in the US. If it had an iPhone that was $99 and could run on any major carrier, it would completely dominate this market. Instead, it’s doing things its way — just as it has always done. And that has worked for the iPod, and for iTunes, and has been working the past few years for the Mac. But it leaves a small opening for a nice Android device or the Pre to have a chance. But they can make no mistakes. Or they will be written in the Wikipedia entry for Apple next to the Zune.

Source: TechCrunch

Facebook has a thing for moms.

The last two times I’ve attended a Facebook event – both the unveiling of its redesign and its announcement of Connect on the iPhone – Facebook employees emphasized how excited they were about the fact that their mothers had recently joined the social network. The milestone is a symbolic one, indicating that Facebook is expanding beyond historically internet-savvy generations to include an older user-base, namely folks who use their computers primarily for basic tasks like Email and photography but have largely stayed out of the social-media craze. Yes, there are plenty of older tech-savvy computer users, but this is hardly the norm.

Facebook is clearly trying to bridge this gap, and it’s making significant progress. But it still has a long way to go.

Thing is, I really don’t think Facebook is that user-friendly for people who are trying out social networks for the first time. In fact, with its plethora of granular privacy settings and the somewhat foreign concept of ‘Networks’, Facebook can be downright baffling for new users. I’ve been using the site for years and I still have trouble configuring privacy settings for various photo albums and Friend Lists. The settings are all there, somewhere, they’re just confusing. Homepage redesigns and somewhat frivolous new features aren’t really helping the matter.

Facebook’s default privacy settings aren’t exactly geared towards novices, either. Creating a new photo album lists the default sharing option as “Everyone”. It’s trivial to change, but how many people simply click ‘next’ and share their photos with the world without really meaning to? And new accounts are set by default to share their information with everyone else on their network, which works out to quite a few people if you happen to join a regional network (which Facebook suggests during the signup process).

What Facebook really needs is a ’safe mode’. Something that caters to the the kind of person who may occasionally lend a few thousand dollars to a Nigerian princess, or who sends out chain-letters that originated in 2002 to dozens of friends at time. Many of these people are quite intelligent. They just haven’t grown up with the constant threat of scams and phishers. And they’ve been told so many times not to adjust a program’s settings (for fear of doing something wrong), that they’re afraid to explore the site and figure out the privacy settings for themselves.

A ‘Safe Mode’ could take any number of forms, from a profile with stricter default privacy settings to a Clippy-like virtual helper (hopefully with fewer annoying tendencies than Microsoft Office’s old sidekick). Just something that makes the site a little easier to use for those people who aren’t really sure what they’re doing.

Source: TechCrunch – by Jason Kincaid

Apple’s App Store has been big hit to supplement the popularity of iPhone. Now, news that Apple is to privately preview iPhone OS 3.0 has raised many expectations already. Now, to complement the new iPhone OS 3.0, Apple is rumored to create a ‘premium’ section in its existing App Store.

With over 15,000 applications and above 500,000,000 downloads, the App Store is ‘the’ business for Apple to supplement its iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Of the several developers, it’s being rumored that the game development companies will be given preference for the ‘Premium’ section of the App Store.

The Premium section will comprise of the applications costing $20 (Rs. 1,020 approx.) and more will be showcased. This will help the game development and other app developing companies to offer their premium applications, which according to them are difficult to develop. Many game industry stalwarts believe that iPhone OS is the next (handheld) gaming platform.

This subsection will ease off the clutter amongst the paid apps. However, getting an app enlisted under premium section could be quite a fight. Earlier, Apple was stringent about App Store policies, but later iron gates opened for several developers looking to promote their apps.

Hopefully the new iPhone 3.0 OS will unlock the CPU speed of iPhone 3G from 412 MHz to at least as much as that of iPod Touch. Currently, the second generation iPod Touch’s CPU runs at the speed of 532MHz which is way much higher than the previous generation iPod Touch and even iPhone models.

The CPU boost will eventually give game developers enough room for developing better, graphics rich games. Also, Apple App Store is now competing with rival App stores like Android Market, BlackBerry App World and Nokia’s Ovi Application Store. Let’s wait to see what strategy Apple will devise to make more business out of its App Store.

Source: TechTree

Facebook on Saturday announced the new Facebook Connect for iPhone service at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, TX. Dave Morin, senior platform manager at Facebook, took the stage to explain the new iPhone integration, the recently released Facebook features for brands and celebrities, and the new homepage design that began rolling out last week.

Facebook Connect for iPhone is available now with several participating apps, and does for iPhone apps what Facebook Connect does for Web sites: users can link their apps with their Facebook profile to share their data with friends.

“For the first time, your iPhone apps can now have friends,” said Morin. “I can pull out my iPhone and play it not only my other friends with iPhones, but I can also play with my mom—she can join in and play with us on her computer.”

Morin invited several iPhone developers to show off their new functionality. Representatives from Playfish, Tapulous (of “Tap Tap Revenge” fame), and SGN showed off how Facebook Connect for iPhone will work with games. For instance, you can share you scores in your Facebook feed, see which of your friends are online, and invite both iPhone- and non-iPhone-using Facebook friends to play with you.

The most exciting game looks to be “Agency Wars” from SGN, which went live on Saturday. It’s a spy game that uses geolocation to let you leave clues and set traps in specific real-world locations. Recruit friends to your spy agency, or play against them and “assasinate them.”

Other apps that are utilizing Facebook Connect include the popular Urbanspoon and Flixster Movies apps. Urbanspoon now lets users post restaurant pictures and reviews on their Facebook feeds, and Flixster does a similar thing for movies. Look for Facebook Connect-enabled apps soon from Citysearch, CitizenSports, Loopt, MTV, EA Sports, and several other companies.

Source: PcMag