The Modern Materialist : iPhone

Slide to Unlock Door

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:02:00 GMT

Much like you slide to unlock your iPhone, now you can slide to unlock your home door:

Er, sorta. This doormat is rubber and will hopefully stay relevant for at least another year.

[$50, Meninos]

[Via Holy Cool]

Test Drive: Peek Pronto Not Pronto Enough

Steph Auteri — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:09:00 GMT

[$79.95 + $19.95/month, Peek]

The concept itself was so promising...a standalone e-mail device, much cheaper than — and without all the bells and whistles of — smartphones like the iPhone and the Blackberry. That was something I could get behind.

After all, I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on the iPhone, despite the fact that my eyes glazed over with lust every time my friend Nicole pulled her's out. And I didn't think that I really needed constant access to the web (despite my propensity toward obsessive-compulsively checking both my Google Reader and Twitter feeds for updates).

So I was fully ready to embrace the Peek, ignoring everyone's judgments over its obsolescence in a world of smartphones.

When my Peek Pronto arrived in the mail, I just about flipped my shit with excitement. Finally...I would be able to leave my condo without missing an e-mail beat. (Note: I don't actually leave my condo. Ever.)

And in powering up my Peek, my excitement only grew. Getting started was as simple as inputting my e-mail address. Once my Peek and my e-mail account had synced up, the e-mails started rolling in. And with each new e-mail, the tiny envelope in the upper-left-hand corner of the device flashed blue, and the Peek chirped. For a (brief) time, this satisfied me.

Strike One:

The first twinge of doubt occurred when I left my Peek turned on overnight. When I awoke the next morning, eager to check my new e-mails without actually leaving my bed (my laziness knows no bounds), I found that the device had gone dead, despite the fact that I had charged it for a bit the day before. Isn't the battery power supopsed to be better? Instant gratification FAIL. I plugged it into the wall for the rest of the day.

Strike Two:

Later that night, I had to leave the condo (horrors) to drive to an exercise class a half hour away. I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to try out e-mail-on-the-go and, by that point, the device was fully charged. So I powered it up...and waited.

In the end, it took at least a half hour for my Peek to catch up on my e-mails. Every time it beeped for the next 30 minutes, it was an e-mail I had already received, read, and deleted hours before. I felt as if I had stumbled into Back to the Future, and I was not impressed. Lesson learned: NEVER turn off your Peek, even if you are charging it. (This also brings up another annoyance: I wish it knew which e-mails I had already read and deleted; I wish there was a greater interactivity between it and my e-mail account. It's also so frustrating to read an e-mail and be unable to click on the link therein!)

Strike Three:

I believe that the point of the Peek (and all smartphones too, for that matter) is to make it possible for you to be more mobile. Am I the only one who found herself becoming more immobile? Example:

Doo-be-doo. I just heard my computer beep in the other room. That means that I have a new e-mail! Yay new e-mail! Even though I prefer reading e-mails on a big screen, I will instead check my e-mail on my Peek, because god forbid I leave the bed. I mean, my slippers are just too far away.

And in fact, this is the problem I see with all e-mail devices and smartphones. It drives me crazy when my man and I are watching TV and suddenly he'll feel compelled to check his e-mail on his BlackBerry, with its TINY screen, despite the fact that his computer is two flippin' feet away. I feel as if these devices make everyone a heckuva lot lazier, a heckuva lot more OCD, and way too plugged in.

...

Um.

Okay. Now that my rant is over...can someone please give me a free iPhone?

Some features of the Peek Pronto:

e-mail delivery
unlimited texting support
search function
5 e-mail accounts supported
can view .pdfs, .docs, and pictures

Happy Hour: Don't Dial

Steph Auteri — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:50:00 GMT

Things I should not attempt doing when I am in the above state:

writing this blog
driving a car
cooking anything on the stovetop or in the oven
actually, I shouldn't be in the kitchen at all; I have a history of injuring myself when sober
making phone calls to any men, aside from my husband, who is required to forgive me for drunk dialing

[$0.99, iTunes Store]

Don't Dial is a new iPhone app that allows you to "block tempting contacts (for up to 24 hours) before [you] even buy the first round."

A version of BlackBerry is slated to be released by the end of the month.

iGame Boy

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:36:00 GMT

If you play a lot of games on your iPhone, why not just turn your iPhone into a Game Boy?

This is defintely the coolest iPhone skin I've seen. Sadly, there is no information on this iPhone skin that has made quite a buzz in the blogosphere.

In the case that you do manage to find this skin:

Please let me know!
Download the Game Boy theme (if you have jailbroken your iPhone)

[Via That Girls Site and Gizmodo]

Most Offensive iPhone App? Quite Possibly

Shaun Seneviratne — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Do you have an Asian fetish? Well, if you download this app, you'll probably take your creepy eastern fetishization to the next level:

This app is even called Cute Asian Girls. And all it does is show you pictures of cute Asian girls.

Alright, Asians of the world, get angry. . . NOW!

Thanks to Sara for the tip!

[$5, Stuck Pixel]

[Via Angry Asian Man]

10 Reasons to Get Skype for iPhone

Laureen Mahler — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:01:00 GMT

The Skype app for iPhone was officially unleashed this morning, and just in case you aren't already convinced you should download it, here are ten bonafide reasons why it will completely rock your world:

1) It's free to download.
2) It enables free international calling.
3) It works on iPod Touch (with speaker/microphone add-on).
4) It means you can save up those priceless AT&T minutes.
5) It syncs up with your existing phonebook.

Five more reasons after the jump:

6) Yet another avatar you can personalize and add to your slightly schizophrenic virtual personality lineup.
7) The iPhone Skype launch totally beat the Slackberry, ahem Blackberry, launch.
8) Three words: international prank calls. Hello, Australia? Is it true that your toilets flush backwards?
9) Make free calls whenever you have WiFi access.
10) Everyone else is doing it, right?

Access the free iTunes download by clicking on the Gizmodo link below:

[via Gizmodo]

Blackberry/iPhone App Smackdown

Steph Auteri — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:01:00 GMT

Gizmodo and BusinessWeek report that BlackBerry will finally be opening an application store to compete against Apple's App Store. App World is slated to open on April 1, and paid applications will start at $2.99 (though there will be some freebies as well).

Among the apps we'll be lucky enough to find all in one place?

The Gmail software application
Blackbird, a Twitter client
Flickr
MapQuest Navigator
Pandora Mobile (rock!)

Share your own favorite apps in the comments!

The Top Ten Apps That Make Me Want the iPhone

Steph Auteri — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Before, I simply wanted the iPhone because the iPhone was pretty. Now I want it because all of its apps are like magic. That damn Steve Jobs may get me yet. For the moment, though, I'm still a simple flip phone user.

If I ever upgraded, though, I would jump on these iPhone apps so fast. You should check them out too!

Pandora Radio, a free app that lets you stream your personalized radio station through your phone.
Free Wi-Fi, a free app that helps you find free WiFi hotspots in your area.
Take Me To My Car, a free app that, um, takes you back to your car when you forget where you've parked. Just save your location upon exiting your car, and then refer back to the app later!
Tweetie, a $2.99 app that allows you to handle multiple Twitter accounts, view your timeline, replies, and DMs, and tweet to your heart's content.
iHandy Level, a free app that does the job of your typical carpenter's level, making the hanging of pictures gosh darn easy.
Shazam, a free app that tells you what's playing, whether it's on the radio, on TV, or just on the overhead in a store. All you do is hold your phone up and you'll soon know the name of that song you've been grooving on lately.
Crosswords, a $9.99 app through which you can download and solve new crossword puzzles every day.
myCard, a $0.99 app that allows you to send your virtual business card via e-mail.
WordPress, a free app that allows you to update and manage your WordPress blog from your iPhone.
AroundMe, a free app that identifies your position and allows you to search for nearby banks, bars, gas stations, restaurants, etc.

What are your favorites? I want to be in the know when I finally arrive from the year 2000.

New Skins

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:05:00 GMT

I just got an iPhone three weeks ago and I absolutely love it to the point where I think it's annoying my friends. I recently sent an e-mail from my iPhone where it appends a "sent from iPhone" signature at the bottom of the e-mail. My friend replied with this message and doctored signature:

This guy and his iPhone.
Look what his phone tags his emails with!
Better get that checked out, Shauny.

"Sent from my iPhone because I'm so great and should be recognized for my expensive purchases. Bow down before my technological superiority."

Sorry, Mikey boy, but this phone rules! But I still don't have a case for it and I don't want anyhting bulky or rubber because I want to be able to take it in and out of my pocket easily. Good thing I found MusicSkins!

MusicSkins are mad from vinyl and won't add any extra bulk to your sleek phone. But wait, you don't have an iPhone? That's okay, they make them for cell phones, iPods, laptops, and PSPs as well:

iPod and phone skins are $17, PSP and Nintendo DS skins are $23, and a laptop skin is $32.

[Karma Loop]

[Via Holy Cool]

Modern Materialist Has Died of Dysentary on Your iPhone

Diana Vilibert — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:21:00 GMT

Oregon Trail. On your iPhone.

The LA Times says there's no official release date yet, but it's coming to your Apps soon, so grab your family, stock up on supplies, and get ready to shoot 983 pounds of buffalo.

The Little Black Book Goes Digital

Laureen Mahler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:33:00 GMT

Things I have never done, but have seen in movies:

1. Glued pictures of people I've slept with into a journal.
2. Kept a diary of the secret trysts I've had in the tiny town where I live.
3. Written down a lengthy list of every person I've betrayed.
4. Kept a notebook of one-night stands and their rankings.

Why have I never done these things? Aside from the moral implications, the fact is that diaries just aren't password-protected. But now the Little Black Book has indeed upgraded (product + movie sources after the jump):

Introducing the iPhone app that ranks your lovers, stores their personal info, and reminds you of your next date:

[$4, Salt Lick Labs]

Yikes. Here's to things that should only happen in movies...

(Movie Sources: 1. Cruel Intentions, 2. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me [and yes, this is my second TP post this week], 3. Oldboy, 4. Carrie 2: The Rage [what? I'm the only one who's seen this masterpiece of modern film?])

Truth or Dare for Your iPhone

Laureen Mahler — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:38:00 GMT

Just when you thought that the iPhone might have maybe almost nearly reached the scope of its awesomeness, a new app shows up to blow your mind all over again. This time, you can test your friends' truthiness with none other than the iPolyGraph.

It works like this: your friend places their finger on the "Analyze" button, and the iPhone will test their stress level to see whether or not they're telling the truth. Isn't that cutely sinister?

But don't worry -- the iPolyGraph isn't the real deal; as the AppStore says, it's "just for laughs." It will, however, make for some extremely interesting Truth or Dare.

[$3, AppStore]

[via GeekSugar]

10 Unreleased Apple Products You've Never Seen Before

Diana Vilibert — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:49:00 GMT

This is the Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone, the first known predecessor to the iPhone--and it's one of ten Apple products you've never seen before. More, after the jump:

PenLite, a lightweight, full-fledged, Mac OS-capable PowerBook Duo with a stylus instead of a mouse and a touch screen instead of a keyboard.

Dubbed VideoPad and presumably developed alongside Apple’s VideoPhone app, the flip-style device merged a cell phone, PDA and videophone that somehow communicated with a giant base that had two screens of its own, along with a CD-ROM drive and a handset.

See the rest of the list at MacWorld!

DIY: Leave Them in Stitches

Steph Auteri — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:59:00 GMT

Quite some time ago, I oohed and aahed over this embroidered bowl, put off only by the price (over $200).

I'm still charmed, however, by the idea of needlepointing the most practical objects in one's home, creating a juxtaposition between the softness of sewing and cold, hard functionality.

Enter AMH Design, a purveyor of needlepoint kits.

[$22-$38]

There are stitchable journals and photo albums...

[$20]

...stitchable keychains and pendants...

[$25]

...and stitchable iPod and iPhone cases.

Related: DIY: Bowls

Holiday Tip: Carry Christmas In Your Pocket

Steph Auteri — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:19:00 GMT

I'll admit it. I own the Holiday Yule Log DVD, complete with a singalong book and the history of Christmas. Sometimes, I leave it up on mute when I have company over during the holiday season.

In fact, my entire living room is now specially decorated to ensure that I feel embraced by the Christmas spirit at every moment of the day, what with the ornament-laden tree, Rudolph knick-knacks, sparkling snow globes, scented candles, blinking Santas, and more. Of course, this only works if I never leave the condo.

[$1.99, iTunes Store]

Now, because the iPhone has to be able to do absolutely everything my crappy $30 phone can't, you can get a Yule Log app for your iPhone via the iTunes store.

I hate you guys.

Double Your iPhone's Battery Life

Diana Vilibert — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:27:00 GMT

Now I don't have an iPhone, but I hear from people that can afford one that they're not great when it comes to battery power. Well, that's about to change with the November 28 release of the Powerslider, a case for the iPhone 3G that also doubles as a power source.

It has a built in custom engineered lithium-ion polymer battery that is the first point of contact as far as power is concerned, and once that source is gone, it then begins to draw power from the iPhone’s battery and operates off of that.

[Incase] [Via SlamxHype]

Related: One-Upping the iPhone

This iPhone Has a Secret

Alex Zalben — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:32:00 GMT

Just a simple iPhone home screen, right? Wrong:

It's nice that one's tech obsessions don't need to stop at drinkware.

[$60, Meninos]

[Via Technabob]

Steve Jobs Can't Hold Phil Knight's Jock

Brian Marabello — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Nike's can now come in any color you can photograph and text.

(Now if I only had one of them new iPhones, only available in black or white.)

Short video after jump explains Nike's voodoo.

Pretty chic-y, sis.

Unfortunately, only available in Europe. Which has better (and sexier sounding) colors anyway. Mauve and chartreuse Dunks anyone?

[Nike's UK PhotoID site]

Related: Do-It-Yourself: Nike I

How Do You Sleep, Steve J?

Brian Marabello — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Probably on something like this…

I’ll sleep very well too on this which I’ll buy with my fermenting iPhone money…

It’s the pattern I customized for my comforter case contraption (some call it a duvet and I call those people the French). Inmod will cut and sew whatever your mouse hand picks from their wide pattern, fabric and color selections. Or choose from their many choice pre-set configurations.

Now, save $50 on order over $500, which is as easy as, er, sleeping. (Enter modern50 at checkout.)

[inmod]

The iPhone Doesn’t Even Have A Bidet Function

Brian Marabello — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Yep, still iPhone-less. And still bitter. No biggie. I’ll spend my iMoolah on a 3G toilet instead.

Just back from Taiwan where I had my first encounter with a fully automated toilet seat, mfd by Japan behemoth Toto.

The US facsimile of my instant Taiwanese friend is the Washlet S300.

You just tell it your business – 1 or 2 – and it does the rest. The Washlet controls not only the seat, but the toilet too. It handles everything – aerates, rinses your plumbing (from two different angles) and flushes. It’ll even heat the seat for you. And lower the seat. Divorce rates to plummet.

Toto sells them here in the US. In various configurations. I just checked the Apps store at iPhone.com. No iJohn yet. The iPhone is a colossal failure.

[$1,299, totousa.com]

Spending my iPhone fund: A tote made of salvaged billboards?

Brian Marabello — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Still got my iPhone money. (Not by choice.) Perhaps I’ll invest it in a new tote made of old ads. Hopefully, not an old Apple ad. It’s too soon, I still hurt.

Vy & Elle takes billboards (which are made of vinyl) and makes them into all sorts of storage devices – messenger bags, gym bags, wallets, purses, coolers, makeup kits and even phone cases, which are too narrow to hold the new iPhone. I appreciate the solidarity, Vy & Elle.

I’m partial to the Hot Toddy (pictured below), but really want so much more of their other wares.

[$22-187, vy&elle]

How should I spend my iPhone fund? Pool Table?

Brian Marabello — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Alright, Sir Jobs. You made it impossibly impossible to get an iPhone thus far. I refused to wait in a mall (where the Apple stores are in So Cal) for several hours. (I know that one of your stores was only able to bless 350 people or so a day and many AT&T outlets didn’t even receive stock.) Anyway, I’m putting my iPhone jones on hold for a month.

So, it seems I got a few hundred bucks to part with. Perhaps I’ll get me a: James Bond-esque pool table…

From Aramith, makers of fine billiards stuff for 85 years, comes this ingenious dining table with a pool table inside. All the balls and cues store in the table as well.

Nobody could tell you had a pool table unless they accidentally pulled on the wall sconce beside the fireplace and your sleek, minimalist dining (wood or steel) table transformed into a six-pocket fun zone.

Perfect for city dwellers.

No mention of price on the site. I’m guessing a shload more than my iPhone budget. I’ll inquire anyways.

[fusiontables.com]

Are You Buying an iPhone 3G?

Alex Zalben — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:00:00 GMT

As we all (probably) know, the new, improved iPhone launches tomorrow, nationwide, at Apple and AT&T Stores at 8am. People over in New Zealand already snagged theres, and the general hands-on feeling about the new iPhone is that it's... Good. Not a godsend (that was iPhone 1.0), but good enough, the improvements are nice, and it gets the job done.

So I'm curious how many of you are going to pick one up, or not, and to find out, I've put together a handy little poll:

Apple Keynote LiveBlog

Alex Zalben — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT

You know what time it is, Materialistas? It's Apple Time! Time for Steve Jobs' World-Wide Developer Conference Keynote, that is. Though I'm not in San Fran for the announcment, I will be updating this very post in a semi-live-blog, as the announcements of amazing, god-like devices roll out. So bookmark this page, and keep refreshin', because the updating should begin shortly (say, around 1pm EST).

Oh, and for clarities sake, I'll be posting the most recent updates at the bottom, so scroll down for the latest info.

12:00pm - Nuthin' yet. There's been a lot of rumors swirling about what, exactly, they'll be announcing today. My guess is that the iPhone 2 (whatever the specs) is a lock. I also wouldn't be surprised to find out the Touch has replaced a few more iPods (Touch Nano, maybe?). Finally, my fingers are crossed... I'm hoping... I'm praying... That John Mayer plays a song at the end. That would be so awesome.

Oh, and cause I'm a shameless self-promoter:

12:41pm - Apple Stores worldwide are DOWN. There's been some rumors that iPhone 2 wouldn't go on sale until next month. Those may be true, but at the very least, something is getting add to the Apple Store. My guess? iPuppies.

12:48pm - Okay, here's what I love about Apple Announcement Day... A picture of people going up an escalator!!!OMG! I kid, I actually did get excited about this.

12:53pm - I've updated the top picture with a pic of the hall, courtesy of Engadget, who's actually in San Fran. Perhaps I should start a live-blog about live-blogging this live-blog? Just a few more minutes until real info hits, and I can stop making stuff up to talk about...

12:56pm - Okay, MacRumors wins for craziest amount of over-information:

1:00pm - It's go time. Let's do this, Jobs.

1:03pm - Al Gore is in the crowd! Insert your own "inventing the internet" joke here. Although I suppose he'll insert his own joke in a little bit.

1:06pm - I think the above statement came out wrong... I meant I'm sure he'll make some sort of self-effacing joke about it, not "Al Gore is going to have sex on stage, and I'm referring to his penis as a joke." On second thought, I'm sure none of you thought that, and now I'm all embarassed. Anyway, they're still seating people.

1:08pm - Lights have dimmed. Steve is on stage. The crowd goes nuts. Only in San Francisco, people. Only in San Francisco.

1:09pm - 52,000 people at World Wide Developers Conference, massively successful, blah, blah, blah... Okay, "this morning we're talking about iPhone." Here we go.

1:10pm - New Mac OSX - named Snow Leopard, to be debuted after lunch. Snow Leopard, huh? I assume the next update will be code-named Happy Kitty, or something?

1:13pm - Finally, iPhone 2 talk... Though it's boring stuff about Enterprising features. This will be followed by SDK, and then we'll get to end-user features. Meaning, another few minutes until the stuff YOU care about. Also, me.

1:17pm - Okay! On to SDK. Still boring.

1:19pm - They're still talking about the Software Developer Kit (SDK). What is this, a developers conference?

1:23pm - Since this is really boring; possibly even more boring than you can imagine if you're not following the discussion in real-time (they're talking about how to build a User Interface), I'm going to take a moment and plug SketchFest NYC, a national sketch comedy festival happening this weekend in NYC. Three days of stuff that's fun. No discussion of User Interfaces. Okay, plug over!

1:27pm - Still displaying the Interface Builder. I'm going to take another moment, more on topic this time, to pose the following question/statement, that I've been thinking about the past few days: Apple is the technology leader, right? Using the example of the iPhone, before it was released, touch-screen tech was used for museum displays, and that's about it. Now, every phone maker is scrambling to make a touch screen phone. Look back further to the mouse, CD drives, iPods, and basically any innovation Appple has made. The other part of this is, because Apple is the leader, other companies scramble to copy them, but bend over backwards to make something that is, essentially, different. Which defeats the purpose of copying them. Anyway, looks like they're finishing the developer talk, so we're back on.

1:30pm - Sega is demoing Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone, featuring tilt-controls. I realize this sentence makes it sound like I'm insane if you don't know what I'm talking about.

1:33pm - Aha! Here we go...Super Monkey Ball, and other games, will be available at the launch of the iPhone App Store for $9.99. Not bad, for a game with 110 levels and motion controls. Picture below is from Gizmodo, if you couldn't figure that out:

1:35pm - eBay has created an iPhone app called Auctions that let's you do exactly what you think it does. It's a simplified version of eBay that let's you view and bid on auctions in real-time from the iPhone, without having to access the Safari browser. Honestly? I think this is going to be f-ing huge. Why would you use eBay on your computer, when you could just use it on the go?

1:37pm - Next up is Loopt, a social network app that lets you see, on a map, where your friends are. I expect this will shortly be used in a horror movie. "Oh my god, the killer... He's following us on Loopt!" Scary.

1:41pm - Other apps: TypePad, a free piece of software for blogging or sending photos; and Associated Press, for, you know, AP News?

1:43pm - Oh, you know what? The AP thing is actually a pretty forward thinking application: you can send first hand reports on news, with pictures, directly to the AP. This is either awesome, or terrible, depending on how you feel about mass production of the news. I recommend reading this for more info on the subject. That's an actual recommendation, btw, not a snarky "check" "this" "out."

1:47pm - More games, including a physics based game called Enigmo, and a caveman racing game called Cro-Mag Rally, which uses the iPhone as a steering wheel. Because when you're driving a car, the windshield is 3.5" wide. And also, you're a caveman.

1:51pm - More Apps, including Band, a virtual music creator and player; and At Bat, for checking baseball stats and scores in real time. Hey, do you think Apple is launching an App Store or something?

1:56pm - In case you're wondering, they're now demoing two medical apps. Which is nice, except I'm starting to get bored. This better get awesome, quickly.

2:00pm - So... What's everybody up to right now? Doing anything fun?

2:05pm - Okay, Steve is back. I swear to god, if he doesn't announce something good soon, I'm going to... Keep watching this. Sigh.

2:07pm - New features on iPhone 2.0: Full iWork and Office integration; ability to save images you get e-mailed; parental controls; language support.

2:10pm - iPhone 2.0 software in early July. Free for iPhone owners, $9.99 for iPod Touch owners. Yeah, but what about iPhone 2? You know, the phone, and not just the software?

2:13pm - And now, something entirely new.

2:15pm - MobileMe! The rumors were true... .Mac is turning into MobileMe, or as they're calling it, "Exchange for the rest of us." Oh snap.

2:17pm - Mobile Me works for Macs, PCs, and the iPhone. If you update a contact, a calendar item, or a mail message, it'll update on any device you have connected to MobileMe. Macs, it works with iCal, Address Book, and Mail. With PCs, Microsoft Outlook.

2:18pm - It'll be at Me.com, which isn't quite live yet.

2:23pm - Nice! You can also use the iDisk app native in MobileMe to wirelessly send files... Not that shocking, but considering I've had insane problems sending files from phone to phone before, this is pretty helpful.

2:27pm - Side thought, since I'm now going to be very late for a meeting: is this keynote really going to be two hours long?

2:28pm - 60 Day free trial available with iPhone 2.0 software, starting in July. $99 for a yearly subscription. Now, Steve's back again.

2:30pm - Steve sez: "The iPhone is very popular." $10 says this ends in, "so we're remaking it from the ground up," and everybody goes nuts.

2:32pm - Next challenges: 3G, 3rd party app support, more affordable. Here it comes...

2:33pm - Introducing iPhone 3G.

2:35pm - Thinner, black plastic back, solid metal buttons, same display, camera, flush headphone jack, and improved audio.

2:36pm - Also, 3G (duh). Faster than Nokia and Treo. Oh snap, again! Almost as fast as wi-fi (17 second download for wi-fi, versus 21 for iPhone 3G).

2:38pm - Battery life is 300 hours standby, 2G talk-time is 10 hours (double the previous version). 3G talk-time is 5 hours. Also: GPS now integrated in the iPhone. Wow, those rumors are right on the money so far.

2:43pm - More countries for iPhone service. Okay.

2:44pm - Wow, I am going to be super late for that meeting.

2:45pm - Pricing: $199 for an 8GB!

2:46pm - $299 for the 16GB, with a white version available for this size. Wow. These things are going to sell like... Well, like iPhones.

2:47pm - That's the maximum price, world-wide, by the way. They're showing an ad now. You can't see it.

2:50pm - Well, that's it! Steve's gone. iPhone available on July 11th, no other announcements, no One More Thing. Ummm... Hope that was worth it for you guys, and thanks for playing along! And post your impressions in the comments below.

First Picture of iPhone 2

Alex Zalben — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:30:00 GMT

For those of you who live under a rock, you probably don’t know that Monday is Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference. More specifically, Monday is the day that Steve Jobs will announce the new iPhone, which is guaranteed to cure world hunger.

Well, Australia’s MacTalk has the first official picture of the iPhone 2, and I’ve reposted it below:

Yup, it’s a cardboard box, which can’t be opened until Tuesday (Monday, our time), and may or may not contain the iPhone 2.

So this post isn’t a total bust, post what you’re looking forward to (or not looking forward to) for the iPhone 2 in the comments section below. And come Monday, you better believe I’ll be live-blogging that mother.

If Two Heads Are Better Than One...

Alex Zalben — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:30:00 GMT

...Then what's better than two heads? Or, rather, what’s better than the Griffin Powerdock 2, which charges two of your iPod products at the same time?

The Griffin Powerdock 4, which charges FOUR of your iPod products at the same time! Now, before you scoff, remember: some people have families. I don’t know any of these people, but apparently, they exist.

And, they all have iPods.

The Powerdock 2 is available now from Apple.com for $50. The Powerdock 4 will be available in July for $70.

[Via Gearlog]

iPhone Shortage Brilliant Plan To Sell Blackberrys

Alex Zalben — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Okay, gang, I’ve cracked this mystery: Apple is trying to get people to buy Blackberrys, and it’s stunningly obvious.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, rumors have been swirling that new iPhones (with 3G, among other fantastical features) will be announced at the World Wide Developers Conference next month. However, as of today, iPhones are unavailable for purchase online at Apple.com, and have basically disappeared from both real-world AT&T and Apple Stores. The supposition was that this was to clear the way for the new iPhones, but if that’s really a month off*, why take them down now?

Why, to clear the way for the new Blackberrys, of course. And, by the way, I assume you don’t spell it blackberries, because that’s the fruit, right? Anyway.

Officially announced today, the new Blackberry is called “Bold,” and features a black and silver, iPhone-esque design. The mobile messaging device (sigh), will include email, phone, IM, Internet, camera, video recording, and much, much more. No price point yet, though rumors set it around $300-$500… In other words, iPhone pricing. I rest my case.

[Blackberry Bold]

*In all seriousness, check back here tomorrow… I would not be at all surprised if the new iPhones are available online at Apple.com starting tomorrow morning; they’re not going to leave the world iPhone-less for weeks.

SO TRUE!

Wendy Atterberry — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:02:00 GMT

For all you iPricks out there, David Lynch has a message for you: