Mobile Mania

Looks like that Bluetooth chip in the iPod Touch 2G we've always thought was for Nike+ suddenly got a lot more useful: Apple's Greg Joswiak said that Bluetooth can be "unlocked" on the device during the iPhone OS 3.0 Q&A session. That's two years of rumors to rest, right there, and a solid move, seeing as three of the major 3.0 features are A2DP, wireless accessory control and peer-to-peer connections over Bluetooth. Any touch owners feeling more inclined to drop the $9.95 now?

Just in time to nab your soon-to-be-jailbroken copy of iPhone OS 3.0, AT&T has now confirmed that commitment-free iPhones are going to happen -- soon, in fact. As of next Thursday, you'll be able to waltz into the AT&T store of your choice and pick up an 8GB or 16GB unit for $599 and $699, respectively; that's a little harder to swallow than the normal $199 / $299, granted, but in exchange, you're free and clear without two years of your precious life sold off to a wireless carrier like it's a cheap piece of meat. You're worth more than that, you know?

READ the full news ..

Dropping a Benjamin on mophie's iPhone 3G Juice Pack didn't seem too painful considering the alternative of possessing a brick after about four hours of 3G usage, but we get the feeling iPod Touch 2G are going to have a slightly more difficult time rationalizing this one. Launched today for $99.95, the Juice Pack for iPod touch 2G was specially crafted to hold Apple's latest touch, and it promises to practically double the amount of jam time by including a rechargeable Li-ion. The case / battery extender also sports a pass-through USB cable design, and the four light LED status indicator gives you visual cues on battery level. Specifically, mophie claims that this device adds up to 42 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video playback, and if you've already decided to become an early adopter, you can head on over and get one shipped out today. Full release is past the break.

mophie Debuts Juice PackTM for iPod Touch 2G
Ergonomic 'Made for iPod' Case/Battery Extender Now Available for $99.95 at mophie.com

Los Angeles, CA – March 19, 2009 – mStation | mophie announces the immediate availability the latest Juice Pack which is designed to offer second generation iPod Touch users twice as much time to watch, rock, surf and send. The juice pack is a rechargeable lithium polymer battery in the form of a non-slip, soft grip case and offers the following fantastic features...

* Battery Extender and Case in One – The juice pack is an official "Made for iPod" Apple certified accessory that offers the convenience of an extended battery and the protection of a case, all with an ergonomically designed, soft-touch, non-slip rubberized finish. It comes charged up and ready to go straight out of the box.

* Pass-Through Design – Included USB cable enables you to simultaneously charge and sync with iTunes without having to remove it from the juice pack. The pass-through headphone jack ensures that you'll always be connected to your music.

* Advanced Battery Technology – Intelligent power distribution instructs the iPod Touch to always drain out the juice pack first. When you're done with the Juice Pack , simply detach and you still have a fully charged iPod. Highly condensed lithium polymer battery delivers an incredible amount of juice in a small form factor and features built in overcharge, short circuit, and temperature protection.

* 4 Light LED Battery Status Indicator – Integrated LED status indicator tells you exactly how much juice is left and also displays how much time remains during the charging process

* Full Charged Juice Pack give users more than twice the power –
Audio Playback – Up to additional 42 hours
Video Playback – Up to additional 7 hours

"We're proud to now offer users of the iPod Touch 2G a convenient and ergonomic extended battery to ensure their favorite videos and tunes never run dry" says Ross Howe, Sales and Product Development Director for mStation | mophie. "Our mission is to keep every last iPod/iPhone enthusiast charged up at all times which is now possible with our latest addition to the Juice Pack family."

The mophie Juice Pack for iPod Touch 2G is available now online and in stores at an MSRP of $99.95. For more information on the mophie Juice Pack please visit http://www.mophie.com/pages/information

About mStation | mophie
mStation is consistently praised for its ability to create quality products with innovative Industrial Design. mStation's flagship brand, mophie, is an iPod accessory company with a wide array of award-winning cases. Their products can be found in Apple Stores and major retailers worldwide.

MIX09 may be in March, but we have the details on the conference for you a bit early. Sign up by February 13 and save $400!

Always hosted in Las Vegas, MIX is an annual conference for developers, designers, and enthusiasts who are interested in discussing Microsoft's latest web-oriented products and services. MIX09 will be the fourth chapter of MIX, held from March 18-20 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Scott Guthrie, corporate VP of Microsoft's .NET Developer Division, will be making the two hour keynote speech on Wednesday at 9AM. This will be the only keynote at the conference, which is a bit surprising if you take into account that last year's edition had two keynotes and five separate speakers.

Technologies that will be covered include, but are of course not limited to, the following:

• Windows Live
• Windows Azure
• Expression and Visual Studio 2010
• ASP.NET, C#, and so on
• IIS 7.0
• Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Silverlight 3
• Internet Explorer 8

Even if you're not interested in any of the above, MIX09 will attract many Microsoft employees from other divisions, not to mention from other companies; it's always a great opportunity to network with employees and employers of some of the world's largest tech businesses. There will also be many pre-event workshops, sessions (not all of them have been posted yet), and mini-sessions (new this year) that should keep you busy. Mini-sessions are 20 minutes long and grouped into blocks of three by topic. Attendees can attend the full block or pick and choose to attend individual ones.

The registration is not yet full at the time of publishing. The conference is still two months away, but the reason I'm posting this now is because of the discount for early registration. Normally registration is $1395 ($295 for the workshops) but if you register by February 13 you can save $400 (use RSVP code MIX09offer). You can also get an Academic Discounted Registration for $595.

If you're not attending, don't worry; we'll keep you updated all the way through MIX09.

In response to negative feedback, Microsoft has tweaked the Windows Mobile 6.5 honeycomb user interface.

The latest features in the new iPhone OS 3.0 make it a better phone, GPS, gaming and computing platforms. But they also have the potential to turn it into the most perfect sex toy yet.

Dr. Debby Herbenick—author and sex expert—liked our iPhone 3.0 guide so much that she wrote a great phone sex guide inspired by it. Which got me thinking: Can the new OS make the iPhone the best sexual toy ever?

Actually, I think it can. Or at least, it has all the elements to turn it into the most sophisticated sexual machine I can imagine.

Let's start with the basics: First, the new iPhone OS 3.0 adds a rumble application programming interface. Basically, this will allow developers to fine tune the vibration of the iPhone itself. A perfect sexual toy application would be able to store vibration patterns to suit the needs and mood of the user.

But more importantly, it will also receive them wirelessly, in real time: One iPhone running my hypothetical Shiny Shiny Sexual Toy™ would be able to control the other using a simple graphical user interface, over the network.

In this perfect sexual toy application, there will be a list of sexual partners you can play with across the internet. It will also allow to record sessions and also talk using the new Voice Over IP communication at the same time you are playing. Like the games demonstrated yesterday, but for adults.

And that's just the start. Imagine the possibilities of push notifications and Bluetooth peer-to-peer networking: Woman walks into airport lounge with the sexual toy app in "receive mode." Another iPhone sexual toy user is scanning the application and detects her in proximity, so he or she sends a notification, inviting her to play.

They don't have to get directly into the action, of course. Like Dr. Debby says, there are preliminaries, like in every sexual activity. This is where text chat, profiles, and avatars get into scene. A conversation will ensue and, if things get exciting, they can start playing using the vibration mode.

Of course, you are probably thinking, it's ok to play with the vibration mode in the iPhone itself if you are in the privacy of your home... but in public?

That's where the new Device Control interface and the Bluetooth connectivity comes in: The sexual toy would be able to turn the iPhone into the toy itself but it would also be capable of controlling compatible devices—small or big vibrators or chinese balls or whatever device you can think about.

Of course, there's the matter of doing this kind of things in public, but hey, I'm European, and you know we are all pervs there who love sex in public (and hey, you can always run into the bathroom, as long as you keep yourself within wireless range).

Sure, some will say that toy-aided cybersex is nothing compared to the real thing, but seriously, even while sometimes they are fun, one-night stands are just way too messy for me. Knowing that I'm having casual sex with someone in such close proximity will be a definitive turn on. And who knows, perhaps the start of something else.

You are probably tired of hearing about the whole 5800 NAM launch fiasco (especially if you are not North American), but hopefully this will be the end of it. The Nokia 5800 NAM is back with updated firmware v20 and returned to the sales floor at the US flagships. Those who pre-ordered online should be receiving theirs in 1-2 weeks.

We’re not sure when the v20 firmware will be available for those who currently have the Nokia 5800 NAM purchased from other stores. We’re also not sure whether the update will indeed fix the reported 3G issues.

Update: Here’s a quote from a Nokia spokesperson:

“We have concluded this was an isolated situation related to a configuration change in the North American variant. We have now adjusted the configuration and will resume sales shortly. Those few customers of the 5800 who experience a 3G signal issue are advised to contact Nokia Customer Care. We extend our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.”

The Motorola QA4 gets even more mysterious as additional information about this touchscreen slider is uncovered. The handset made its way through the FCC way back in September 2008 with 800/1700/1900 CDMA bands, suggesting that the phone was intended for use on US Cellular, MetroPCS or Cricket. As of Monday, the supporting FCC documents (manual, test images, etc) surrounding this handset are now available for public view. From these documents, we can glean that the QA4 has EV-DO Rev. A, aGPS, Bluetooth with A2DP, AVRCP and DUN support, on-screen landscape QWERTY keyboard, widget support and built-in syncing with Google contacts, YouTube and Picasa. The QA4 reviewed by the FCC also sports a slightly different keyboard than the recently leaked press photos suggesting that the model the FCC approved was an early design. The handset was initially rumored to land at US Cellular but was shelved indefinitely as it reportedly failed to pass carrier testing. Dying but not dead, the handset made a second trip through the FCC on 3/5/2009 with a Class II permissive change. This latest revelation coupled with the handset’s recent appearance on Motorola;s website suggests that the QA4 may still be on Motorola’s radar for launch in the near future.

Sorry it’s not the greatest picture in the world, but at least we can put a face to the specs and info. We dropped word of the Blackberry Gemini a while back, and it looks to be cross between an 8300 and an 8900. Ugh, the madness never stops. Then again, did you really expect something different for an “updated BlackBerry Curve?” Here’s the information we published earlier:

• OS 5.0
• 320×240 resolution screen
• QWERTY (really?)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (again, not too sure on the n part)
• 2.0 megapixel camera

Again, really not too much here, just a pretty face. Yes, it’s pretty. And hey, there’s one thing we know… it’s not photoshopped. Not laughing? Oh whatever.

Here we go again. On the one hand, rumorsville is buzzing with Speculations surrounding the Evoke QA4, a rather intriguing touchscreen slider reportedly headed to US Cellular, MetroPCS and/or Cricket. On the other hand, you’ve got the VE465.

• CDMA 800/1900/1700/2100 connectivity
• 1.9 inch TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels and 65k colors
• 1.05 inch CSTN external display with 96 x 80 pixels
• Brew OS
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Music player
• Video player
• MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging, E-mail
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• USB 2.0
• MicroSD up to 4GB
• Talk time: up to 4.5 hours, Standby time: up to 12 days
• 1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches, 3.8 ounces

We’re not sure exactly how this handset carries ruggedized devices forward but apparently Moto did something right as it has already been picked up by two known carriers, Alltel and TELUS. Release timing and pricing are still unknown but we’re hoping carrier subsidies take it down pretty low. Any of you outdoorsy types out there looking forward to snagging one?

Some Canadians in the market for a new BlackBerry might have noticed that Rogers recently enacted a price hike on the three-year contract prices for some of its most popular BlackBerry devices. The price increases saw the Curve 83xx go to $149.99 (up $50), Curve 8900 to $224.99 (up $25) and the Bold go to $299.99 (up $50). While most handset price increases are done after an evaluation of a supply and demand model, it seems that Rogers decided to throw caution to the wind after some senior executives noticed the budget for acquisitions was currently $30 million in the red. One of our ninjas passed along the following email, allegedly sent out by a Rogers VP:

On Wednesday, the senior executive team realized that they were over budget $30 million dollars on their cost of acquisition. How I don’t know why it took so long. [sic] They then did their knee jerk response. Your DBM’s and other local managers know nothing more than this and are in the dark as much as we are on this other than we were told VERBALLY that in market quotes would be honored for 30 days from today. The exception lists are due Monday and only for non named accounts. I have requested in every region for a positioning statement and to this moment have not heard a response. If it makes you feel any better the retail has even more uncertainty.

Our only question is other than advertising, marketing and promotions, what the hell could Rogers have been spending so much money on to make them go so far over budget in acquisitions? It’s not like they were buying new subcribers steak dinners for signing up…

We all know as soon as a feature comes to the iPhone, Apple invented it right? Perfect examples are the full touchscreen form factor, mobile apps, visual voicemail and the accelerometer — all brought to market by Cupertino. But none of those things are Apple inventions, you say? Pfff, clearly you’ve never met an Apple fanboy. So let’s take a look at a few of Apple’s latest mobile inventions fresh from today’s town hall:

• Push notifications for apps. Finally. As you well know, this will allow the iPhone/iPod Touch to be notified (via a badge, text pop up and/or audio alert) in near real-time of a new server-side event associated with a specific app. Think of it as a poor man’s answer to background processes. Background processes, by the way, are not an addition to version 3.0. Apple’s excuses: Battery performance and memory strain.
• Updated media player adjusts streaming video quality according to current bandwidth.
• Cut, copy and paste. That’s right folks, Apple’s polio vaccine. Double-tap to select text, drag start/end points and do your thang. You can even shake to undo/redo edits.
• Send multiple images at once. Joy.
• Wider landscape keyboard availability. Apple finally tossed the landscape keyboard into all native apps, including Mail. Thank you.
• MMS! Hooray for decade-old tech! SMS and MMS are now lumped into a Messages app. It won’t be available on 2G (1st gen) iPhones.
• New calendar features. CalDAV allows for sharing across a bunch of services such as Google and Yahoo and .ics subscription support.
• Flushed out Stocks app.
• Extended search. Users can now search in all key apps including Calendar, iPod, Notes and Mail.
• Spotlight for iPhone. A “search homescreen”. It’s like Spotlight for Mac and it only searches native Apple apps.
• Bluetooth A2DP support (stereo Bluetooth) — but it won’t be available on 2G (1st gen) iPhones.
• Tethering.

Beyond that, Apple recapped the iPhone’s current position of course, with a presence in over 80 countries, 13.7 million iPhones sold, over 16 million iPod Touches sold and the App Store now has over 25,000 apps and over 800 million downloads. The iPhone SDK has been downloaded over 800,000 times by over 50,000 different entities, though over 60% of them have submitted no apps to the App Store. Damn, the Dev Team is growing by leaps and bounds — wink, wink. Apple tried briefly to woo potential developers by showing off how easy it is to develop an iPhone app, also touting that Gameloft has over two million paid downloads to its credit. Bank.

With iPhone 3.0, Apple is introducing 1000 new APIs for developers. It is also allowing developers to submit apps that carry subscription models — one download that is periodically refreshed with new content. In other words, Apple is now facilitating a more continuous revenue model compared to the one-time purchase model. Sell new magazine editions in a magazine app, sell new levels in a game, etc. This model will apparently not apply to free apps, so devs can’t give an app away and then charge for content. Apple has also added APIs to support peer to peer connectivity for things like online gaming via Bluetooth without the need to pair devices. Woo! Beyond that, additions such as the ability to build apps that communicate directly with hardware accessories via Bluetooth or the dock connector, streaming audio and video APIs and the introduction of a Maps API to facilitate app integration (including the use of Maps for turn by turn directions) were covered. Some pretty cool stuff, though nothing earth-shattering.

A beta version of 3.0 is available today to developers and end users will get it some time this Summer; free for iPhones, $10 for iPod Touches. So there you have it folks — discuss.

The BlackBerry "Niagara," or 9600 series, popped up on eBay for about a minute before it was pulled, but you can't hide pictures like these.

The 9600 series is sort of a combination of the Bold and Curve/Javelin series for CDMA, though we don't know a whole lot about it yet. Our own ginger-haired Matt Buchanan called it the "first real next-gen BlackBerry," totally unconcerned about the poor Storm's hurt feelings. Check out the hot pics.

Apple has quietly introduced a new 4GB iPod shuffle. Not only is it bigger on the inside -- it's smaller on the outside. So small, in fact, that it has no buttons other than the shuffle mode switch. All the controls are now on the earbud cord, which means that you'll be stuck using Apple's own earbuds until third party versions make it to stores.

The new Shuffle also talks to you. Press the center button on the remote (a long press) and the "VoiceOver" function will tell you the name of the song and artist you are listening to, and it will also read your playlists. This is a rather helpful new feature, especially since, at 4GB, the Shuffle is approaching the capacity of the original full-sized white iPod.

VoiceOver speaks 14 languages, from Spanish to Mandarin. The actual speech is generated by iTunes and then schlepped across to the Shuffle when you sync. This means that if you are syncing with a Mac running OS X Leopard (the latest version) you get to hear the rather good robotic voice of Alex. If you are running an older version of the OS, or using a PC you get a rather crappy voice. You can check them out here at the Apple site.

And because the Shuffle now reads out your playlists, you can skip through them until you find the right one. Suggestion: Keep the names short and distinctive to avoid frustration.

The new iPod also loses a couple of hours in battery life -- 10 instead of 12, and costs a little more at $80. The old Shuffle is still available in 1GB form for $50.

The iPhone is set to get a face lift. Apple will show off a new version of the iPhone operating system, iPhone 3.0, on March 17, along with a new version of the phone's software development kit.

While details are scanty, iPhone 3.0 could include features such as universal search, multimedia messaging and an updated user interface.

Apple will unveil the new OS and SDK at a media event for reporters and bloggers at Apple's Cupertino, California, campus at 10 a.m. Pacific time next Tuesday.

"In the past two weeks Apple has introduced new Mac hardware and a new iPod shuffle, for which the company simply issued a press release," Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says in a note. "The fact that Apple is hosting an event for the iPhone OS 3.0 shows that it will likely involve meaningful changes to the iPhone feature set."

The software preview event could also be a sign that an iPhone refresh is coming this summer. Version 2.0, the last big upgrade to the iPhone OS, was released in July last year, along with the new iPhone 3G.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs will likely be a no-show at the company's event, but Apple won't let that hold it back. In January, Jobs said he will take five months off for medical leave. In his place, it's possible that marketing head Phil Schiller, who keynoted at Macworld, will lead the event; iPhone software chief Scott Forstall is also a likely candidate.

Some bloggers and analysts have been suggesting that Apple will launch a new version of the iPhone at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. But new hardware will require an updated SDK and possibly a new version of the operating system. Those speculations align well with Apple's planned event next week.

Among the features that users can expect with the new iPhone OS are multimedia messaging and tethering via Bluetooth and USB, according to the Boy Genius Report. Universal search and a redesigned user interface are also possible, says Piper Jaffray's Munster.

Palm, which is set to release the Palm Pre phone in the next few months, will have universal search as one of its significant features. Universal search allows users to look through the contacts, e-mails and documents on their phone as well as search the internet with a single search string.

Apple's last enhancement to the iPhone software came in November 2008, when it offered Version 2.2. The update offered features such as Google Street Views, improvements to e-mail, and measures to reduce dropped calls.

What would you like to see in the new Apple OS? Let us know in the comments.

A bunch of iPhone games, among them the destructively awesome Tap Tap Revenge 2, have received updates to include Facebook Connect functionality. What does that mean for you? Networking. Delicious networking.

Facebook Connect allows you to link your game, with all its scores and stats, to your Facebook account, which in turn lets you connect to other people who are playing the game. You'll be able to share your high score, see which friend is playing which game, and, as always, block your boss from seeing exactly what you're up to during work hours.

Facebook Connect for iPhone went live today, and several games are taking advantage...

COMMENCE TIMEWASTING ...

That rumored BlackBerry Bold with a touchscreen was just a whisper before, but now we've got a shot of the packaging to prove its existence. Let's see what we know about this new hybrid.

We'd known it as the Pluto, but now it's been given a traditional RIM numeric identification as the 99xx series. It's got just about the same form factor as the Bold, including the QWERTY keyboard, but with one notable addition and one notable feature missing: It's got a touchscreen in place of the trackball.

This blurry shot shows a Rogers-branded 99xx (a major Canadian carrier), and the 3G device is allegedly due for a late 3rd quarter release up north. "Late 3rd quarter release" is code for "don't bank on this until the 4th quarter", but we're excited nonetheless. We'll continue with updates as we get more info.

As Apple gets ready to preview its new software developers' kit and an updated iPhone operating system next week, there could be some changes to the company's App Store too.

We're hearing rumors that Apple could introduce a "premium" section in the store, in order to sell more expensive third-party programs. The premium section would largely be focused on games, giving game makers a channel to offer more in-depth (and pricier) titles without getting lost in the clutter of free and $1 apps.

Game makers contacted by Wired.com, including Activision and Electronic Arts, have not returned calls for a comment. Apple has also not returned calls for comment.

This "velvet rope" section of Apple's store could feature software programs that cost $20 or more, making it friendlier to publishers whose products are too complicated to be created in one developer's spare time. That change would make the App Store more friendly to game publishers, as well as enterprise software companies such as SAP that would otherwise prefer to focus on the more business-user targeted BlackBerry phones. BlackBerry is expected to launch its own app store, called the BlackBerry App World, later this month.

The Apple App store is a big hit among users. Independent app makers can make hundreds of thousands of dollars hawking games such as iShooter or Twitter apps like Tweetie.

But along with the increased downloads, developers have seen the average price for games pushed down steadily. Three weeks ago, Silicon Valley Insider analyzed prices of the top 100 paid apps in the iPhone app store. Their spreadsheet showed apps prices dropped an average of 19 percent over the previous two months.

A premium section or a tiered App Store could help change that. The premium section could offer a channel for the more expensive products and protect the $20 price point.

In November, Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak called the iPhone and iPod Touch "the future of gameplay," and in January, Gadget Lab reported on the iPhone's future as a gaming platform. By offering a premium section in the App Store, that future could be more secure.

2008 marked the end for many a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), most going under in a flood of bankruptcies or getting consumed but their parent networks. It sure seems like no company in its right mind would want to wade back into that graveyard, but Zer01 is thinking differently, pledging to launch a new network within a network next month at CTIA 2009. Its services will be provided by AT&T, but it'll undercut the competition with a combination of a $69.95 monthly unlimited voice and data plan and a complete lack of contracts, as well as unlimited international calling (to 40 countries) for just an extra $10. What's the catch? The company will rely on a VOIP application for routing of all calls, and right now that app only works on Windows Mobile. That'll be a roadblock for many, and given AT&T's somewhat limited (and generally flaky) 3G data coverage we're a little concerned about call quality, but just the same can't wait to see how this one turns out.

The mother of a kid living in Cincinnati, Ohio is suing Apple and 10 unnamed retail employees from the Apple Store in Kenwood over an iPod touch that allegedly exploded in the child's pocket. According to the complaint filed yesterday in the Southern District of Ohio, the plaintiff had the "iTouch" (as the lawsuit refers to it) in his pocket during school when the unfortunate accident happened, resulting in hospital bills and other monetary losses thanks to the disintegration of the iPod touch and, well, the kid's clothes.

As the story goes, the iPod touch was sitting in the "off" position when it unexpectedly popped and caused the kid to feel a burning sensation. At that time, he stood up and noticed that his pants were, in fact, on fire. "Plaintiff A.V. immediately ran to the bathroom and took off his burning pants with the assistance of a friend," reads the complaint. "On said date and at said time, the Apple iTouch had burned through Plaintiff A.V.'s pants pocket and melted through his nylon/spandex underwear, burning his leg."



Upon learning these facts, much of the staff here at Ars took an inordinate amount of time out of our busy day to discuss whether this was a reasonable possibility. The lowest melting point of nylon is approximately 374 degrees Fahrenheit—a temperature that an iPod touch could not reasonably reach without you noticing beforehand (that's hotter than the temperature it takes to fry an egg, by the way). However, because the lawsuit claims there was fire involved, all bets have to be off. Fire is most definitely hot enough to melt nylon, and if there was an explosion to cause the "pop," then there may not have been a way for the kid to notice the heat beforehand.



The plaintiff went directly to the doctor, where he was declared to have received second degree burns to his leg. "He continues to suffer from both physical and mental conditions which will cause him to suffer pain, mental distress, emotional distress, and otherwise for the rest of his life," reads the lawsuit. The plaintiff's mother says that the family was not warned in advance of the potential risk that the "iTouch" would cause serious bodily injury, and Apple's 10 retail employees had a duty to not only test for this, but also warn customers.

As a result, Apple and the retail employees are accused of gross negligence and recklessness, as they supposedly conducted themselves maliciously and fraudulently when selling the iTouch. The mother asking for compensatory damages of more than $75,000 plus punitive damages of more than $75,000 and attorney fees.

We just hope that Apple's insurance includes something about underwear meltage.

Apple wouldn't let you do it, but WinandMac found an app called iBluetooth for jailbroken iPhones that will allow you to send and receive files over Bluetooth. Just like a real phone!

There's really not much else to it. You can shoot files to and from Bluetooth devices, like other Bluetooth-enabled phones that aren't iPhones. If that's the one feature you've been waiting for, well, get to jailbreaking.

Nokia’s trio of new music phones were leaked only slightly ahead of schedule this time around, but that won’t stop live images from making their way around the internet without the Finnish company’s blessing. Just as with last night’s leak, another Dutch site is behind today’s live cameos and it has some great crisp shots of the handsets in action - no tiny blurrycam pics here. Surprisingly perhaps, Nokia’s new handsets look even better in real life than in the company’s mockups. No, we’re still not overly interested in any of them but they’ll certainly find happy homes somewhere, no doubt. Hit the jump for another shot of the 5730 XpressMusic pictured above, along with shots of the 5330 XpressMusic and the 5030.

So it looks like Apple’s planning on holding an event for iPhone 3.0 OS March 17th along with showing off an updated SDK. This would fit nicely with their brief history of having a preview software event followed by a hardware refresh in June/July. As far as what we’ve been told of iPhone 3.0, here’s what we’ve got:

* MMS
* Tethering via Bluetooth and USB

We’re working hard to get some more information and know that our list above isn’t exactly thorough, but hey, it’s something! Plus, there has to be copy and paste, right?

Sprint's and Palm just confirmed during a webcast conference that the Pre still on target for a release in the first half of 2009 and will use Sprint's "Everything" line of plans.

Individuals can choose from 450 minute ($69.99), 900 minute ($89.99) or unlimited plans ($99.99). Families can choose from 1500 minutes ($129.99), 3000 minutes ($169.99) or unlimited plans ($189.99). Business customers will also be able to pool their minutes together using about 5 different plans. They don't want people signing up for voice-only plans because they don't want people incurring extra charges they're not entirely aware of.

Sprint had no other information on release specifics or specific phone pricing, but but the Touchstone wireless charger will be sold separately.

Looking for a free phone card? Thinking there a catch? This article shows you what to watch out for when looking for a free phone card online. Learn a couple of free phone card tips on how to avoid a prepaid calling card scam.

Well, you're not alone. There are plenty of people just like you, looking to find a free phone card online. In fact, 5787 people typed in the keyword phrase "free phone card' in yahoo's search engine, just last month. If you factor in all the online search engines this number could be six to even eight times that number of people looking for a cheap prepaid phone card online. So don't feel like you're the only person looking to find a deal with a really cheap free phone card online.

Free Phone Card Tip #1

You Have To Earn It.

Big companies know the value that a free phone card can offer to its customers. That's way companies will sponsor corporate promotional phone cards as a way to run a special promotion. Most times you have to buy a certain amount of there product or do some type of task to get your free phone card minutes.

Some online sites will say that they offer a free phone card but in reality they built a system that you earn the points kind of like airline miles buy doing certain things that make the company money. So if you don't mind being the mouse to chase the free phone card cheese. Then play the maze to win free phone card minutes.

Free Phone Card Tip #2

Read the Fine Print:

Unfortunately some phone card customers have bin ripped off when not reading the fine print when buying a prepaid phone card. Reading the terms and conditions is your first step in avoiding prepaid phone card scams.

In one case, a large online prepaid phone card business was offering free 50 minute calling card. This company had a sneaky tactic card of charging your credit card on an automatic monthly recharge basis. This happened after you used your 49th minute of the free 50 minute calling card. Some online prepaid calling card business will want you to verify your information to receive your free prepaid phone card. Be careful when anyone ask for your credit card information as a qualification for a free phone card. Sometimes its understandable for a business to request this as part of the free phone card trial, just remember to read the fine print!


Sometimes you need to take a lesson from good old grandma. Nothing in life is for free! But some of these companies might be offering you corporate phone card promotion that is used to promote there brand. Because sometime you might actually find a fair deal for free long distance calling minutes online. So yes, there is a catch! But not when you know what to look for.

What is VoIP? Is it useful, or inexpensive? The answer is that VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol. Voice over the Internet allows connections all over the world. It is one way to have a free pc to phone international call. In other words it is a phone call from pc. Yes, it is useful, and it is inexpensive, especially if you like the word free. Some Voice over Internet service may allow you to only call anyone who has the same service, but some will allow a phone call to anyone with a telephone number including international numbers.

Easy Free PC To Phone International Call
Voice over Internet Protocol allows the converting of your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, using a broadband service, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. In layman’s terms you are using your Personal Computer via a modem or phone adapter to connect to the Internet, and the receiving person will answer via PC or telephone. This allows the free pc to phone international call. This all happens with this broadband Internet connection instead of a regular or analog phone line.

The equipment needed to make this happen are a broadband high speed Internet connection. A computer, adapter or other specialized phone is required. Some Voice over Internet Protocol services only work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, while there are other services that allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP adapter. If you are going to use your computer as a phone call from pc then you will need to have some software and an inexpensive microphone. Some special VoIP phones plug directly into your broadband connection and operate largely like a traditional telephone. If you use a telephone with an adapter, then you will use the phone like you always have.

In order to make the VoIP free pc to phone international call you must make certain that your Internet provider will allow you to make those calls. It comes down to what your subscription service will allow on their services. Check into that before you decide if VoIP is right for you. One of the advantages of VoIP is that you may be able to avoid paying for both a broadband connection and a traditional telephone line, which will save you money. More so if you are able to make a phone call from pc. If you are traveling overseas or to another country you may take your phone and adapter with you, and connect to another computer. This makes you able to use your same provider to make phone calls back home.

The disadvantages are that the VoIP will not work during power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power. Not all VoIP service connects directly with emergency services such as 9-1-1. Nor will some providers offer directory assistance or white page listings. These seem to be the downfall of having VoIP service. The computer does not have to be turned on for the VoIP to work, but the broadband connection must be active or live. The other piece of news is that you can use both the computer and the VoIP phone service at the same time. Yes, this is one good way of making your free pc to phone international call.

The option is for you to check with your Internet service provider. Make certain you have all software and possible adapters, as well as the broadband connection. With the right equipment you will be able to make a free pc to phone international call. If you are attending school, working overseas, or checking on the family back home, then VoIP is a wonderful tool to connect with loved ones, and special people. This is a way to have your free pc to phone international call. The tools are available. Your next step is to set up your computer and Internet service provider for a Voice over Internet Protocol.

Apple is exploring the possibility of including a wireless "remote wand" with future versions of its Apple TV media system that would provide users with precise control over a cursor on the Apple TV screen in very much the same way a conventional mouse controls a cursor on a PC. It would also unlock three-dimensional controls similar to those offered by Nintendo's Wii controller.

The wand, which was revealed in a patent filing published for the first time this week, would control the movement of a cursor displayed on a TV screen by the position and orientation at which it is held by the user. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor would follow.

Unlike the current 5-button remote shipping with the current version of Apple TV, the wand would be capable of controlling a plurality of new operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application.

According to Apple, the Apple TV media system could identify the movements of the wand using any suitable motion detection component such as an embedded accelerometer or a gyroscope. Another approach for identifying the movements of the wand would be to determine its absolute position relative to one or more infrared modules positioned adjacent to the screen in the living room.

"The wand may include an optical component for capturing images of the infrared modules, and may calculate its orientation and distance from the modules based on the captured images," the company said. "In some embodiments, the electronic device may direct the infrared modules to identify the position of an infrared emitter incorporated on the wand, and may calculate the absolute position of the wand relative to the infrared modules."

By incorporating the wand controller into future Apple TVs, Apple would unlock a tremendous amount of capability in its set-top-box interface while blurring the lines between a conventional PC and a media system. In one example, the company shows how pressing the remote's menu button would trigger a Dock to rise from the bottom of the Apple TV screen, which users could then navigate by moving the wand from left to right.

The wand could also incorporate several new selection techniques that would reduce dependency on physical buttons such as the menu/select button on the current Apple remote.

"In some embodiments, the user may provide a selection input by moving wand in a particular manner," Apple said. "For example, the user may flick wand (e.g., move wand in circular pattern), rotate wand in a particular manner (e.g., perform a rotation of wand), move wand a particular distance off screen, or any other suitable movement of wand."

When it comes to navigating album art or other media presented in CoverFlow mode, the user could draw a circular pattern on the screen to cause the CoverFlow carousel to rotate, displaying different selectable options. Wand movements could also direct the carousel to turn in a particular direction based on the direction in which it's rotated.

When inside Apple TV's photo application, similar movements would allow the user to navigate large sets of thumbnails and make selections. However, a more powerful aspect may the ability of the wand to zoom in and out of images based on its proximity to the screen.

"To zoom out, the user may move wand away from screen such that the distance between wand and screen may be larger than the initial distance between wand and [the] screen," Apple explained. "The larger distance between wand and screen may be depicted by the position of wand relative [to its] origin. [...] In some embodiments, the user may provide an input in the z-direction (e.g., to zoom out) by providing an appropriate input with an input mechanism without moving wand. For example, the user may roll a scroll wheel, provide an input on a touchpad, or move a joystick to provide an input in the z-direction and zoom out the image of [the] screen."

Rotating the wand could also serve to rotate and skew images on the screen:

Another advantage of the wand would be its ability to trigger a keyboard application from within any of Apple TV's core applications and provide swifter input. Instead of navigating the keyboard with left, right, up, and down arrows, the "user may select a character on the displayed line by pointing wand at a particular character to place cursor over the character," Apple said. "To access other characters not displayed on a particular line, the user may select one of [the] arrows to scroll [a] line to the left or to the right. In some embodiments, the user may simply place cursor at the left or right edge of the screen to scroll [a] line."

Apple goes on in the massive 64-page filing to describe methods for using the wand to control media scrubber bars, jump around the Apple TV interface, and serve as a digital pen for an illustration application.