iphone

Crave's iPhone roundup: Day two

It's the day before the iPhone release and the news about the shiny device is still coming fast and furious. Yesterday, Crave covered the hottest tidbits, which we've compiled for easy reading below.

The iPhone's recessed headphones jack will require a special adaptor for headphones that don't come with the phone. Also, a lack of stereo Bluetooth means you won't be able to listen to music wirelessly.

Apple's posted a new video on its Web site that shows how to use the touchscreen keyboard. Apple promises that the iPhone will predict words as you … Read more

Report: iPhone will accept SIM cards from other phones; cannot act as computer modem

Writing for The New York Times, David Pogue reports that the iPhone will accept SIM cards from other AT&T-sold phones after it has been activated through iTunes with the pre-installed SIM card. This will allow the immediate transfer of contacts and other information to the iPhone. SIM cards from phones sold through other wireless carriers will not work in the iPhone.

Other notes from Pogue's Q&A:

The iPhone cannot act as a wireless modem for desktop/laptop systems You can interrupt synchronization in the middle of the process, and it will resume later To do … Read more

iPhone simulation app gains zoom-to-fit function, goes open-source

The Mac OS X application iPhoney, which simulates an iPhone interface by using WebKit to render pages in 320x480 or 480x320 (depending on how the simulated iPhone is oriented), has been updated to version 1.1 [1.4MB download]. The primary new feature in this release is zoom-to-fit, which will resize Web pages to completely (width-wise) in the iPhone screen. However, there is still no function to emulate "tap-zooming" (zooming in on specific portions of a page) nor touch-scrolling.

The new release also adds the ability to turn off plug-ins (including Flash, which is not supported by the … Read more

What's the iPhone buying situation in your area?

We're gathering reports from readers regarding any availability and store line-up details for tomorrow's iPhone launch. Here in Portland, Oregon, some malls that house Apple Stores are opening their doors at 7 AM or earlier to allow customer line-up and both Apple Stores and AT&T retail outlets are keeping tight-lipped about availability.

What's the situation in your area? Is anyone lining up yet? Are stores commenting on how many units they've received? Please let us know.

Check iPhone availability online tonight at 9 PM, two iPhones per person

You can whether or not your local retail outlets will have starting tonight at 9 PM (at http://www.apple.com/retail), with availability varying by location. The site is already functional (simply displaying which Apple retail stores will have initial stock of the iPhone; so far, all of them), but it's not clear whether or not more information -- such as unit shipments -- will be added at 9. Also, despite statements from AT&T Stores yesterday that each customer would be allowed only one iPhone for purchase, Apple has now announced that each customer will be … Read more

Steve Jobs doesn't like my jellyfish

An e-mail inquiry from Apple last month offers a glimpse into the famously secretive company's preparations for Friday's release of the iPhone.

If you want the short version, here it is: Steve Jobs is involved in making even minor decisions about the iPhone's look and feel. Oh, and Apple employees don't get a substantial discount on the Jesus Device.

The story begins on May 4, when an Apple employee I'll call Joan sent me an e-mail message asking about one of my photographs on McCullagh.org. I have a few thousand photographs on my Web … Read more

Manhattan iPhone Watch: T minus 1.5 days

On Wednesday, as predicted, the rain came. I must say I don't think I've sported this much Gore-Tex outside of hiking trips. Thunderstorms had been on the horizon for New York, and despite rampant rumors that Steve Jobs can control the weather, they still came. Around the 5th Avenue Apple Store, drainage isn't too good, so parts of the stone courtyard outside the Early Show studios were half an inch deep in water. (Note to self: don't wear flip-flops next time!)

But that didn't do anything to break up the line of enthusiasts waiting for … Read more

Apple's Digital Home For the Night: The Apple Store

According to people familiar with the impending iPhone launch, it looks like Apple has asked its retail store employees to take a nap overnight in each of its brick and mortar locations. In most average-sized stores, this means the store manager and one other lucky person will be the first to actually be able to fulfill the literal meaning of the old saying, "sleeping on the job."

Perhaps most interesting about this slumber party is the feedback future line gatherers are spewing about this obvious security measure. In a number of comments on blog posts and on various … Read more

iPhone ringtones will cost you

MacRumors has confirmed that the forthcoming version of iTunes will contain a built-in ringtone creation utility for songs purchased via the iTunes Music Store. Users will be able to right-click on purchased songs and select "Make into Ringtone," which will give them a small audio workspace to select the 30 seconds they want to use as a new ringtone. According to MacRumors, the use of this feature will cost $.99 per track--a fee which goes toward licensing the music for your mobile phone. That means the total fee for a ringtone is $1.98.

There's no confirmation … Read more