In yet another round of “Deal, or No Deal” rumor regarding the UK launch of the Apple iPhone, it seems that O2 has secured the exclusive rights for UK distribution of the iPhone - again. Speculation has already pinned the UK iPhone carrier as O2, so we’re not too surprised by this report.

Nic Fildes at The Independent writes, “O2 expects the launch of broadband and Apple’s iPhone to maintain its momentum during the second half of the year, after it outperformed the market over the past three month,” adding that “Peter Erskine, chief executive of O2, said: ‘We’re excited about this product and we certainly hope to be marketing it later in the year when it launches.’”

When O2’s head honcho alludes to marketing the iPhone, the deal is most likely at least in the works. We’re going to put our money on O2 for now. As long as that wheel keeps spinning, we can still change our bet.

[Via: MacDailyNews]

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Tags: mobile phone, apple, iphone apple, cell phone

Well, someone had to officially say. Following on that retarded poor, misguided guy’s class-action lawsuit over the iPhone’s sealed battery, New York State’s Consumer Protection Board has officially put in their two-cents on the iPhone’s fleecing of America. The organization took issue with the additional costs associated with owning an iPhone, and sent Stevie a letter to that regard.

The battery’s $80 replacement fee, $29 iPhone loaner, short 14-day return period and the 10% restocking fee are among the poor customer service tactics cited by the CPB.

We completely agree. While we don’t condone a free battery replacement, the cost of doing so should be considerably lower, especially considering the ridiculous profits that Jobs is making on each iPhone. And charging for a loaner? We get free loaners for our cars (which cost considerably more than even a high-end gadget)! But, we can’t really say that a restocking fee is a bad idea, it keeps the non-serious lookey-loos from buying and returning the iPhone on a whim.
iPhone Central seems to think restocking fees should be abolished industry-wide, while they don’t understand the need for a longer trial period. We think they got this one backwards. Restocking fees are necessary, and so are longer trial periods.

We’re hoping more consumer protection agencies throw their hat into the ring on these issues. Afterall, their job is to make sure that greedy CEOs don’t overcharge or take advantage of us poor, little consumers. But, then again, Jobs is about as stubborn as they come, so we’re not holding our collective breath for any leniency from Apple.

[Via: MacWorld]

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Tags: iphone, iphone cell phone, gadget, iphone mobile phone

IntoMobile

It’s been about a month and Apple is prepping the first release of iPhone updates. We’ve been looking for the first update to enable iChat features and possibly even MMS support, so imagine our excitement when we heard that the upcoming update might include new widgets, chat client, location-based services, MMS support, and maybe even some Mac OS X Leopard integration!

Greg Joswiak, Apple VP of iPod Product Marketing, told RBC Captial Markets analysts Mike Abramsky that “An iPhone update patch is expected shortly.” However, there’s no word on Microsoft Exchange integration - but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming, or slated for a subsequent update.

Now, if only we could get 3G enabled on the iPhone. Alas, there are no hidden 3G chips to enable, and Abramsky believes that the 3G version of the iPhone will not be available (even in Europe) until Spring of 2008.

Thanks, Apple! We love the fact that our iPhones can be easily updated through a simple download, rather than waiting months for a whole new firmware version.

[Via: Apple Insider]

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Tags: cell phone, iphone apple, iphone cell phone, apple

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Tags: cell phone, iphone cell phone, iphone, iphone apple

O2 expects the launch of broadband and Apple’s iPhone to maintain its momentum during the second half of the year, after it outperformed the market over the past three months.

O2 refused to confirm that it has won the right to sell Apple’s music-oriented handset exclusively in the UK, despite evidence appearing in source code on Carphone Warehouse’s website.

Peter Erskine, chief executive of O2, said: “We’re excited about this product and we certainly hope to be marketing it later in the year when it launches.”

The launch of the iPhone follows the opening of the O2 Arena, a music and sports venue built around the Millennium Dome structure in London. Mr Erskine said O2 has already seen its brand awareness increase, and around 150,000 of its customers have already visited the arena.

He said the company could delay the launch of its broadband service in the UK slightly until early October as it continues to introduce its network. He dismissed concerns that the company has waited too long to launch high-speed internet, arguing that O2 has a customer base of nearly 18 million to target.

O2 is the UK’s largest mobile phone operator, and grew its sales by over 10 per cent in the three months to June. The mobile phone company, which was bought by Spain’s Telefonica early in 2006, also increased its margins by focusing on moving more of its pre-pay customers onto contracts. O2 added 76,000 new contract customers over the period, and also reduced the rate at which users defected to its rivals.

Mr Erskine said the company is looking to trim some jobs in the UK over the second half, although it is understood that less than 100 jobs will go. However O2 will exit the year with around 1,000 more staff than at the end of last year, after opening a new call centre in Glasgow. The move follows 700 job cuts at O2’s German unit as the company continues to struggle there amid tough market conditions.

source

Tags: gadget, cell phone, iphone cell phone, iphone mobile phone

Who else could write a book about an iPhone, but a guy who was one of the first ones to give it try along with WSJ’s Walt Mossberg. Yeah, I’m talking about the New York Times columnist and Missing Manual series creator - David Pogue.

Anyway, touted as “the book that should have been in the box,” iPhone: The Missing Manual teaches you how to extend iPhone’s usefulness by exploiting its links to the Web as well as its connection to Macs or PCs; how to save money using Internet-based messages instead of phone calls; and how to fill the iPhone with TV shows and DVDs for free.

Previously, we’ve showcased “iPhone for Dummies” and “How to Do Everything with Your iPhone” titles, but this book is written by the same guy who made the “I want an iPhone” musical. Guess that makes you want to preorder his book on Amazon - it’s only $13.59!

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Tags: cell phone, apple, gadget, iphone mobile phone

In case you haven’t realized, your iPhone can go beyond the built-in YouTube application. For instance you can already enjoy clips from Google Video if you download them as “Video iPod/Sony PSP” files. But things don’t end there - now we have Dailymotion joining the rising “optimized for iPhone” tide with the launch of “iphone.dailymotion.com” site. From there you can access all Dailymotion’s content from your beloved device, and spend even more time watching the user-generated content… from a WiFi connection of course…

[Via: Engadget]

Cheap Movie Downloads

Here is the video description:

This demo was written to 1) find out bugs with EFL and 2) evaluate usability of iPhone virtual keyboard layout without owning one (they don’t sell it here in Brazil). Done in python, about 230 lines of code.

Tags: iphone apple, iphone cell phone, iphone mobile phone, cell phone

See, iPhone does find its way to the enterprise market! Latest in the line to join the iPhone fray and add some seriousness on top of Apple’s primarily multimedia handset are the leading provider of UNIX software - SCO Group and a provider of rental and point-of-sale software for the specialty equipment rental market - Genisys Software. Last months, the two companies were working to bring AlphaRENTAL Solution for the iPhone handset.

The AlphaRENTAL solution is a mobile workforce automation application used by retail equipment and party rental centers to manage all aspects of their business, including CRM, sales, reservations, quotes, invoicing, receivables, parts, service and rental equipment inventory management.

There you have it - another industry is now covered with the iPhone. What’s next?

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Tags: iphone mobile phone, cell phone, iphone cell phone, apple

Synchronica is prepped to start free trial offers of their Mobile Gateway 3.0 solution for Microsoft Exchange on your iPhone. But, if you just can’t wait a couple more days to get your iPhone on the Enterprise tip, check out the hosted-Exchange service from Ice Web. The IceMAIL service is offered for free for the first 30 days, and will run you $8.50 per month after that - for a hosted service (they give you Outlook access and Exchange servers), that’s not too bad a deal.

It’s the complete hosting solution that sets Ice Mail apart from services like Synchronica’s Mobile Gateway 3.0, and we’re more than happy to welcome it with open arms. Microsoft Exchange doesn’t just appeal to suits and corporate-drones, but it turns out that they’re more likley to have a dedicated Exchange server backing them up (and even those with Exchange access can’t convince their IT overlords to open up the IMAP ports that the iPhone needs to sync with Exchange). If you want to get your own Exchange account, Ice Mail is for you. Check out the Ice Web site for details on setting up your iPhone with their Ice Mail service.

Source

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Tags: iphone, apple, iphone mobile phone, gadget