iPhone developers vex Apple’s NDA with $1 bills. iPhone developers ease extremity by an Apple suffer visit are stipendiary apiece another $1 to deal writing tips. That way, if challenged by Apple’s jural department, they crapper debate that they are subcontractors and thence liberated to handle the software. How daylong are otherwise nimble grouping feat to move to hold and actively indorse the thuggish playing practices of this company? If Microsoft pulled ***** same this, you guys would hit destroyed Redmond to the connector by now. Despite Apples rules. This identify of cooperation is the inner abstract that module spend the iPhone from existence damaged by Android. Open maker utilization module modify Apples winking grouping in a concern of weeks. What I’d personally LOVE to wager hap is Android become discover & everyone move on their bandwagon, concealing the iPhone & forcing them to modify their evil ways. Never happen, but I crapper Dream (pun intended). I venture this module modify presently today that google has free the newborn Android SDK and an Android sound is existence free presently from T-mobile. Just because you are the prototypal doesn’t stingy you module get the battle. I uncertainty Apple is rattling afraid most disagreeable to oblige this thing, but from a jural appearance the $1 would be thoughtful imitation kindness and these developers are ease in ravishment of their NDA. There are plentitude of enthusiastic books discover there – Kochan’s “Programming in Objective-C” and Hillegass’ “Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X” to move – that inform the groundwork of planning that crapper be practical to the iPhone’s SDK. I’d feature that if you’re meet starting, these books should be required anyway – they’ll provide you a meliorate discernment of what’s feat on and on a large bit than if you meet scholarly the frameworks inner to the iPhone.

Copy and Paste for iPhone: I hit held soured on the iPhone lettered this 3G promulgation would be bumpy. I ingest double & adhesive on my sound every the instance for telecommunicate messages & webpages. Nice to wager a impact around on the iPhone worth considering. The fact that this STILL isn’t a base duty of the iPhone shows its shortcomings in a Brobdingnagian way. And then with the 3Gs pissing discover every over the place, I’m pleased I didn’t acquire digit of those buggers. Apple should intend the abstract RIGHT before emotional it and effort it correct entails having a basic, multipurpose copy/paste command. It REALLY couldn’t be that hard, could it Apple? Now I module study purchase an iPhone. The Sidekick phones hit been doing this since 2004. Well finished Apple, incoming hit a plugin for something titled “buttons” Not to fall in on this because it’s a multipurpose opensource beam which I wish alot of developers attain ingest of, but this ease tradition earmark you to copy/paste between Apple’s possess apps and it’s those I ingest the most. Mail, application and contacts are the apps I most requirement this for. Can someone vindicate to me ground they poverty the iPhone to hold MMS because I hit never ever utilised it. I conceive it’s completely useless, I’ve never seen some advantages. If I poverty to beam someone an ikon or so I’ll meet telecommunicate them. I’d fuck to center furniture arguments though.

Apple to earmark subsidies on iPhone. A $200 toll subsidy overlaps with shrink expectations of a low-priced iPhone. I ease wouldn’t acquire digit because at&t sucks. I stingy the sound is bonny but if apple wants to rattling change in unstoppered the abstract up to another carriers. Same abstract for os x I would belike separate os x on my machine kinda then windows if I didn’t hit to go finished the chivvy of hacking it to intend it to run. When the iPhone was prototypal announced, CEO Steve Jobs spewed sufficiency BS to counterbalance a sport earth flooded of babies 3 feet unfathomable in *****, which sounds modify because he could hit potentially murdered a sport earth flooded of babies, but he passed on this possibleness by introducing the sound instead. He claimed that the sound was threesome devices in one: an iPod, a phone, and an “Internet subject device.” Oooh, an cyberspace subject device?! AWESOME! in housing anyone didn’t notice….the accumulation evaluate plans for every another pda call phones at at&t is $30, exclusive the iphone has it for $20 (For grouping who don’t undergo what i’m saying: 39.99 for voice+ 20 for data= 59.99 plan). I’ll look anything that the accumulation evaluate for 3g iphones module be bumped up to $30, if this happens, it crapper be justified easily too. I conceive some place likewise such coefficient on the toll of the phone. The magnitude of the outlay to the consumer is rattling AT&T’s sound plans. I kinda clear $599 for the iphone and intend a cheaper organisation because over a 2 assemblage lessen period, that’s the conception that rattling adds up. I chose to go with running and got a region centro because the organisation was exclusive 30 dollars (included oceanic texting and accumulation aka SERO plan). After taxes you’re hunting at $35/month whereas AT&T is 68 on a 59.99 plan. So over 2-year contract, you clear $840 vs $1632. That’s most $800 note disagreement correct there. Then module there be an UNLOCKED, non-subsidized iPhone? The underway iPhone care is unconditional *****, because it’s NOT supported but AT&T claims it can’t be unlocked. If you call AT&T and communicate them to unlock your phone, they seem selection to do it, but their grouping tells them the iPhone can’t be unlocked.

The announcement came down early last week that Rogers would be extending it’s $30/mo, 6GB data plan until the end of September.

I signed up for the 6GB data plan back in August and have strongly suggested to friends and family that they sign up for this plan ASAP. Here’s why:

1) The data plan acts as a separate contract in addition to your voice plan. I, like many others, weren’t aware that this is the case although it is packaged as one plan on your monthly bill.

2) Although you sign up for a 3 year contract, the cancellation policies are not the same as voice cancellation. It is a $100 flat fee to cancel the plan during the term of the contract, however, that number drops by $5/mo for every month that you are subscribed to the plan.

3) If, by chance, Rogers decides to come out with a better plan than $30/mo for 6GB, you can change to a revised plan (just like adjusting your phone plan). 

4) Related to the note above it looks like, starting in October, a $30/mo data plan will give you 1GB per month.

5) Grandfathering – the nice part about the way the telco’s work is that if you have a plan and a contract ends, you can usually extend that plan beyond it’s expiry date. You might look like a genius 3 years from now if data usage continues to rise (and it will) and rates maintain their current cost (however see #3 above if the rates go down). 

The desire for more data has increased over time and although Rogers is claiming that 95% of iPhone owners only use 500 MB per month, if you can afford the additional $30/mo on top of your current voice plan, the 6GB plan is the way to go.

Apparently the iPhone and presumably the iPod Touch has a process by which it can check for and disable unauthorized programs. The article goes on to say that the firmware has a URL with a list of unauthorized applications.
www.appletell.com

I decided a few months ago that I was going to hold off on buying a 3G iPhone but if you are one of the few who has a first gen iPhone and are wondering if you should upgrade to a 3G phone, here is a great article comparing the old and new iPhone models. Also, check out this article with some test results (3G vs 1st gen vs touch).

If you are curious as to the progress being made by the dev team on activating, unlocking and jailbreaking iPhones with 2.0 software, check out the following blog.

For those of you thinking about lining up at various stores across Canada and the US tomorrow morning to purchase an iPhone, check out the following review:

Yesterday, I wrote a few tips on how to manage your iPhone in a way that can keep the current data plans proposed by Rogers manageable. While I’m hoping the info is a bit useful, I was asked the following question:

Is it reasonable to expect to curtail usage to 750Mb per month or is that nearly impossible if your intent is to use the phone primarily for e-mail?

My response to this is yes.

One additional item that I failed to mention yesterday is that you will receive a text message from Rogers once you are nearing your data usage limit for the month. What I’m presuming Rogers is banking on, at least initially, are oblivious users ignoring the message and thinking “it’s no big deal, how much more can it cost if a download a few more pages?” Beware, the casual additional page downloads here and there COST A FORTUNE!

An associate of mine has had an iPhone in Canada for nearly a year now and has only turned the Edge network on once simply because he a) had a minimal data plan (standard Rogers fare) and b) when he turned it on the first time for only 15 minutes, he incurred over $30 in fees!

My recommendation for casual users who will be using primarily e-mail is to take one of the lower packages and then closely monitor your usage and implement a few of the tricks I suggested to keep the costs down (i.e. turning off the “Edge” network). Also, be careful of opening attachments such as PDF files as those can be a killer.

I’ve been reading the countless articles being published about the much anticipated iPhone release in Canada and while I agree the rate plans, especially as they relate to data usage, is nothing short of robbery, I’ve tried to think of a few quick tips to help cut down on “unnecessary” data usage. While I believe that these rate plans go against the original philosophy, spirit and intent of the iPhone I know that several of my friends will be shelling out for the phone, so here goes:

1. Keep the use of safari/ page views to a minimum. Again, I realize that this might be tough but once the novelty wears off, you may find yourself using the browser less.

2. Turn the “Edge” network off while not in use. Remember, because the phone is wi-fi enabled, you can probably pick up a a free wireless signal from a retailer – surprisingly enough Safeway has free wi-fi – who knew? – and you can always look for our friends who keep their networks unsecured (see: linksys and default).

3. Use the unlimited hotspots like they are going out of style (they are free after all).

4. Avoid the urge to turn your iPhone into a “crackberry.” Limit e-mail usage as much as humanly possible although e-mail is not as big a data hog as you might suspect.

5. Load the iPhone with as many movies and albums as it will allow. Instead of surfing the web limitlessly (come on Rogers, do the right thing) you could watch 40 Year Old Virgin for the 20th time in a crowded airport terminal and be sure that someone, at a questionable point in the film, sees what you are watching – I may or may not know this from experience

I keep hoping that Rogers will have a change of “heart” due to both the large public outcry and media attention but Rogers is betting that the novelty of the phone will win out and unfortunately, I think they will prove to be right.

Apple will be releasing a new model of their popular iPhone in 1 month, lowering the price, use high-speed internet networks and, finally, be available in Canada.

At the Apple developers conference in San Francisco today, Steve Jobs confirmed the phone would be slimmed down a little, and would retail for approximately $199.99 American (currently it is priced at $399.99). Read the complete article on UltimateToronto.com

I found an interesting app today in installer. I’m not sure when it came out but once I saw it, I had to try it out. It’s the iPhone video recorder. It’s available in the featured section right when you open up installer.

The video quality actually seems quite decent. The one you download is basically a trial version and will let you record up to 30 second clips and will let you record 30 times. You have to buy a registration code to do more than that. I guess the 30 tries will last me a little while. To buy the full version it costs $19.95. Just a little expensive for an iPhone app. I wonder how much apps will be in the official Apple App Store once it opens.

Overall, this is a good program. But I wouldn’t pay 20 bucks to use it. I’m not going to be recording stuff everyday so that doesn’t really seem worth it to me. Enjoy your free trial version.

I finally got the Super Nintendo roms working on my iPhone. It is pretty cool actually. I guess the graphics are a little better than the regular Nintendo roms. The games tend to lag a bit once in a while but I found that they are still playable.

Here’s how I did it.

1. The programs you need on your iPhone from installer are as follows:
- snes4iPhone
- zottd required library
- bsd subsystem
- openssh

2. Download the roms you want from http://www.theoldcomputer.com

3. Use cyberduck on mac or winscp to transfer the roms onto your iPhone to the directory
private/var/mobile/Media/ROMs/SNES

4. Right click the rom and click ‘info’, now change the permissions to 644.

5. Now it will work

For info on how to ssh into the iPhone click here
For info on installer source of snes4iphone click here

I actually made my first youtube video of this process. The video isn’t great but will show you what I’m doing to get the roms going on your iPhone (or iPod touch). Hopefully you like it. I plan to make more in the future on other iPhone related stuff and hopefully my video making skills will improve over time. Check it out.

The list keeps growing and growing. It’s not that I’m unhappy with the iPhone, I just believe there is some features they could add that would basically kill all other phones.

1. A better camera
A 5 mega pixel camera would be great. The Nokia N95 and the Sony Ericsson K850i both have 5mp cameras. Lets put one in the iPhone with zoom, that way you can basically get rid of your camera that you already have.

2. Decent video recording
Even my Moto Razr could record video. It wasn’t that good but it still had it. I probably wouldn’t use it that much but I would once in a while. The only thing I recorded on my Moto Razr was parts of a concert but it was still fun. You never know when you want to take a video of something.

3. iTunes store access over 3G
You can’t access the Wifi iTunes store now over Edge, well basically because you aren’t on wifi. Plus Edge would be to slow to download songs from the iTunes store. Once in a while I hear a song on the radio that I want right away. By the time I get home, I have forgotten it. It happens.

Here’s my other wishes for the 3G iPhone

With the anticipated release of the iPhone coming up so soon, there has been a lot of speculation as to what the new iPhone will look like. The trend for Apple seems to be that they release the first generation of a product that comes in one color. When they move on to the second generation, they usually add color. This is true with the iPod. The first generation of the iPod came out in 2001, second gen in 2002, third gen in 2003, then the iPod mini was finally released in 2004. These were available in 4 colors. In 2005, the iPod nano was released and came in black and white. In 2006, the second gen of the iPod nano was released and was available in 6 colors. It seems very likely that the second gen iPhone (also knows as 3G iPhone – not 3rd gen) will come in more than one color. The color variety of Apple products have been very popular.

Here was the first potential look of the 3G iPhone. However this rumor was quashed a while ago as just being a case.

The newest ‘rumored look’ of the 3G iPhone comes from iphonehellas.gr. These pics are supposed to be leaked 3G iPhone photos. They actually look like Apple ads. I looked at the pics extremely close up and they did not look retouched. If they are fakes, whoever made them has to be a photoshop pro. I really like the look of the white iPhone. If there is a white one, I’m definitely getting that one. The red one looks a little odd. You would think though that Apple would release a blue or green iPhone if they were in fact going to do colors.



What do you think of these colors? Are these just more fakes?

The Apple Store opened at Pacific Centre in Vancouver yesterday. I was one of the lucky ones to make it there. I was even one of the first 1000 people to get a free t-shirt. It’s not the best of t-shirts, but it was free, you can’t complain. I wanted to make it there for the 10am opening, but I tend to sleep in usually. I ended up making it down there at 10:45 and there was still a massive line up. I took some photos at first and then jumped in the line which was outside the door more than 100 metres away. About 20 minutes later I finally got it.

What was it like? Well, not much different compared to other Apple stores I’ve been to. I usually frequent the one in Bellevue, Washington and this one wasn’t much different. There was on major thing missing from it though, the iPhone. There was nothing iPhone related in the store. When I asked one of the clerks if they sold iPhone cases, the response was, “We don’t support the iPhone here”. Nice response. I was hoping for some enthusiasm like “It’s coming soon!” or something like that. Oh well. But it was pretty cool to be there anyway.

It seemed like most people were just there to look and get the free shirt but I saw a couple Macbook, Macbook Air, and Apple TV boxes leaving the store. Since I have everything Apple that I could possibly need right now, I didn’t buy anything. Another good thing about the Apple store is that it is right next to the new H&M store which just opened a couple days ago. They have great clothes at low prices.

I am really looking forward to lining up at the new Apple store overnight when the iPhone is released here. That should be an adventure. The last time I lined up overnight for something was on boxing day a couple years ago at best buy when I bought a TV.

Here is the line up:

Here is the free Apple t-shirt:

Here are some random shots of the store:

The iTunes store for US residents is 10 times better than the Canada one. The US one has a huge selection of TV shows and you can’t rent movies from it. They aren’t available in Canada due to some licensing issues. I don’t think I really want to rent movies on my iPhone, but storing some TV shows on it to watch on it or my Apple TV would be cool.

Here is how you get an US iTunes account:
1. Buy an iTunes gift card in the USA or buy a code from ebay
I bought a $15 card at a gas station in the states. There is lots available on ebay though.

2. Open iTunes. Sign out of your current account if you are logged in. You will have to create a new iTunes store account with a different email address.
3. Enter the gift card redemption code.
4. Make up an address. I made up an address in Oregon since they have no state tax there and the US iTunes store will charge you state tax. At the bottom where it says optional then lists different credit card types, select none as you wont be able to use a credit card. You will have to refill your account with gift cards.
5. You are done. Enjoy. The TV shows are usually $1.99 and include shows like The Office, Lost, CSI, CSI Miami, etc. All of my favorite shows. It’s a big step up from the Canadian store which only sells Degrassi and Corner Gas bascially.

Update – I’ve posted on how to get the SNES roms working properly here. Instructions and video included.

Since the NES roms are so easy to add your iPhone (or iPod touch) I was excited to learn that there is a Super Nintendo (SNES) emulator available for the iPhone. Super Nintendo was awesome and it would be fun to play again. I installed the Super Nintendo emulator on my mac and it’s great. Now I wanted to play the roms on my iPhone.

Here’s how to get the emulator on your iPhone

1. In installer, go to sources, edit, add, and add this source
http://zodttd.com/repo/

2. Press the home button, then go back into installer, then games, then install snes4iphone.

There was a source to add the roms automatically but that doesn’t seem to work anymore. It was s.apfelphone.net.

Looks like we will have to SSH the roms into the iPhone.

If you don’t know how to SSH into your iPhone, go here.

The directory for the SNES roms is:
/var/mobile/Media/ROMs/SNES

You can download the roms from
http://www.theoldcomputer.com

Once you have added them to the iPhone through SSH, open the program snes4iphone and play the games. The roms that have the file extension of .smc are added to your game list. The roms with the extension of .fig aren’t added to your game list.

I added the follwing games :
- NHL 98
- NBA Live 98
- Super Mario Kart
- Street Fighter 2 Turbo
- Aladdin

One problem:
None of them worked!

Every time I loaded one in the app, it said “loading rom, failed”.
WTF.

I’ve read online that not all roms work, but I tried 5, none of them worked. Does anyone else have this problem? Does anyone else have a better way of added SNES roms to your iPhone that actually works? I would like to know. Super Mario Kart is one of the best games and I would like to play it more, LOL. Please let me know.

Update: 2008/05/23
I tried putting the ROMs in this directory:
private/var/mobile/Media/ROMs/SNES
and I keep getting the..Loading Rom…Failed showing up. Who has gotten these to work and for what games?

Here’s a cool accessory. It’s the Incase white slider for the iPhone. It looks great on your iPhone. I find that it is a much better case than Agent 18 cases.

One of the best things about it is that it has little rubber bumpers on the inside to ensure it fits snug on the iPhone. This also prevents scratches. It fits your iPhone far better than the Agent 18 shield does. I like the bottom part and how it just slides out so you can easily dock your phone. I think my favorite part about it is that it looks like my favorite Colorware iPhone. The white is so sleek on the iPhone. If the new versions of the iPhone include a white one, thats the one I’m getting. It looks awesome next to my macbook. I even like the little indentation at the bottom of the back of the case to match how the iPhone looks normally.

The case does add bulk, but I think the style makes up for it. I tested it out on my sister in law’s iPhone for a couple days. She really likes it. I really like it to. I went to the Apple store to pick one up, but I did try it out first before buying it. There was one problem which caused me not to buy it. Since I have the InvisibleShield on my iPhone right now, the Incase slider wouldn’t fit. Damn. I didn’t want to take the InvisibleShield off of my iPhone just to get this case. If I got tired of the case, then I would have no InvisibleShield and I love InvisibleShield. I decided that it was best to wait. It’s a pricey item if I’m not going to use it. The case doesn’t protect the screen so it’s best to get a screen protector too if you don’t already have one.

The Incase slider is sold in Apple stores and from the Apple Store online. You can also get it directly from the manufacturer. It costs $35. That is probably the major downside of it. $35 (plus tax) is a lot for a plastic case. I have an Incase sleeve for my Macbook and that was only $35 so it seems like a lot to pay.

Overall, it’s a good case and I do recommend it. Canadians, you will have to get it at the Apple Store in the States or from ebay or somewhere else online. The Canada Apple online store doesn’t sell it and Incase doesn’t ship to Canada.

Here’s the link to it on Apple’s website
Here’s the link to the manufacturers website

Fido and Rogers have a new EPP plan

It is definitely not nearly as good as the last one, but still better than what is available normally.

Here it is:
$20 a month
150 Daytime minutes
Unlimited Eve/Weekends @ 9PM
Unlimited Network Calling
System Access Fee $6.95
E911 Fee $0.50

The good part is the unlimited calling within the Rogers and Fido network which works for both. Remember you need to be a member of Aeroplan, Airmiles, Esso Extra, Petro Points, CAA, or something like those. Call in or go to the store to get it. You must be on a 3 year term.

I was on a recent trip to the States again. This time I went to San Francisco. Of course I took my T-Mobile To Go sim card with me. Before I left, I put a $10 credit on my account which I bought from ebay. I ended up using the phone a fair amount and only used up $6 worth of time. If I had just been roaming, that would have amounted to 3 calls and 2 texts.

On this trip, I noticed so many people who had iPhones. I saw a few while I was in Seattle for a couple hours and then I saw a ton of people in San Fran with them. On all my previous trips to the States, I hadn’t seen anyone with an iPhone. It was pretty cool to see others enjoying their iPhones as much as I do. Most people I saw with them were browsing the internet on them. Something that I currently miss a lot right now. Most people didn’t have any case on them.

Along the way I ran into 2 different carriers that I hadn’t heard of. They are Unicel and Edge Wireless. I think I caught on to them somewhere in Southern Washington or Oregon. Unicel is a small carrier and Edge Wireless is an affiliate of AT&T. I guess these are other options for unlocked iPhones. It’s always cool to see a different carrier name pop up.

What would be a trip to the States without a visit to the Apple Store. Of course I had to go. I checked out the beautiful one in San Fran. It’s two floors of Apple heaven. I Didn’t get any iPhone accessories, but did pick up a couple mac things. I don’t usually leave empty handed when I go to the Apple store. I’m really looking forward to visiting the Las Vegas Apple store when I heard down there in a couple months.

If you have an iPhone (or any phone really) on Fido or Rogers, you have to get the EPP (Employee price plan)

it includes:
- 200 daytime minutes
- Unlimited evenings and weekends starting at 5pm

Cost – $17.50 per month

To get this plan just go to an actual Fido or Rogers store, or call in, and ask for it. It is a hidden or unadvertised plan. It is similar to the Telus or Bell EPP plan except the unlimited evenings and weekends start earlier.

To get on this plan, you have to be a member of one of the following:
- Aeroplan, Airmiles, Petro Points, Esso Extra, CAA…etc.
There is a long list.

This is only available until May 12 apparently so get it quick.

The Nokia N95 8gb phone has been released by Rogers. This isn’t exactly iPhone news but it does relate in some aspects so I thought I would talk about it. This is big news for Rogers because no other carrier in Canada or the United States carries the Nokia N95. Lots of people have it but it still isn’t officially available from a carrier. This funny thing is, Rogers hasn’t made a big deal about this. I haven’t seen any TV or newspaper ads on it. I think the N95 is probably the most sought after phone out there besides the iPhone.

The best part about the N95 is that it has a 5 mp camera and is 3G. The bad thing is that it doesn’t have a full keyboard so texting and typing in web addresses is painfully slow.

What does this have to do with the iPhone?

The big news behind this is that the N95 is a Rogers Vision phone. This means that you can use it on the $7 unlimited browsing plan. That is especially important because the N95 has a full html browser. The key is that it is unlimited browsing. Which means using the phones s60 built in browser. It doesn’t mean unlimited data. 3rd party applications will be charged at 5 cents a kb. It is a little limiting but I guess it will do.

This means that when Rogers releases the iPhone, there has to be a decent data plan to go along with it. If they can offer unlimited browsing on the N95 for $7, things shouldn’t be much different for the iPhone. The iPhone does have a lot of data capabilities too though. I don’t think we will be charged for using the Weather, Stocks, YouTube, etc. The iPhone data plan should be a little more than $7 then.

I wonder what will happen though for App Store applications when they are available and if you have a jailbroken phone. I’m sure that Rogers wont charged us for using those programs because it is the iPhone, but then again, you never know.

The Rogers N95 is branded Rogers. It has the Rogers logo on it and the firmware is branded. This kinda sucks. I doubt Apple will let Rogers brand the iPhone.

The N95 is available from Rogers right now for $399 on a 3 year contract. That includes a $100 mail in rebate. This means that the iPhone probably wont be subsidized heavily and will probably cost about the same. It is a little pricey but definitely worth it.

I recommend that you don’t get the N95 and wait for the iPhone to be released from Rogers if you don’t have one already. If you can afford it, then I would get both.

Here are some related links:
N95 discussion on the Rogers section of Howard Forums
Nokia N Series Website
The Nokia N95 on the Rogers website