4SmartPhone is getting ready to launch 4iPhone, a hosted Microsoft Exchange server for small businesses and individuals. It basically offers access to the Exchange based Enterprise features of the 3G iPhone including ActiveSync and DirectPush of email, contacts, etc. to users who don’t have an Exchange server. 4SmartPhone already offers this for Symbian and Windows Mobile devices for $11-$16 a month and pre-registration for 4iPhone is available now, though prices have not been announced.

Frankly, I suspect most individuals would be better off just using Apple’s forthcoming MobileMe service. But for small businesses who want to equip their employees with iPhones, but don’t want to incur the upfront expense of running an Exchange Server themselves, something like 4iPhone is probably worth a look.

Quoted from: TUAW

Windows may be your operating system of choice or it may be forced upon you, but there’s some good news if you’re an iPhone owner. On Thursday, software company Mark/Space introduced a Windows version of its Missing Sync for iPhone software.

The software, like its Mac counterpart, allows users to easily switch from a smartphone to an iPhone or iPhone 3G as well as archive SMS messages, call log and notes to their PC via a step-by-step utility. Users can also view SMS messages in a threaded view (like on the iPhone) and search through archived messages and call logs. The software can also transfer iPhone Notes to your computer, so they can be read in Mark/Space Notebook.??

Brian Hall, Mark/Space CEO, said: “When we released the Mac version of The Missing Sync for iPhone earlier this year it helped make the transition from a smartphone to iPhone very easy for people. We’re happy to bring The Missing Sync for iPhone to the Windows platform. When iPhone 3G ships next month, both Mac and Windows users can be ready to transfer their contacts and calendar information.”??

The Missing Sync for iPhone supports migration from most BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm OS devices, and devices from Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola that use the Symbian OS.

The software is available as an electronic download from the Mark/Space online store for $39.95 and requires a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 is required too use the Migration Assistant.

Quoted from iPhone Alley

• eff at TrouserMac Industries sent a blurb about an upcoming iPhone app that’s right up my alley. Brewing Buddy will be free from the App Store after launch and consists of a tool for calculating and refining beer receipes, a brewing helper, and a social recipe sharing application. Bottoms up! [Our esteemed colleague would like to remind everyone that pants-based computing is a registered idea of Erica Sadun Enterprises. -Ed.]
• TheBarCodeProject is readying TouchWord, an iPhone Holy Bible with sections for notes and an included RSS reader for Christian learning resources.
• Meanwhile, over in Oxford, Mississippi, Deepak Mantena and TapeShow, LLC are getting ready to release Chores for Mac OS X and a companion app called Chores mobile for iPhone. Deepak says that “all the unnecessary fluff that’s in existing productivity tools is eliminated.”
• While it’s not an announced app, I loved reader Jack Chance’s idea – “Will someone write some software that turns the 3G iPhone into a bike computer? It should give speed, distance, and store the route so that you can sync with your Mac at home…” A lot of bikers would love this app idea — go for it, developers!
• Long-time Palm game developers Seahorse Software are bringing Blackjack Run to the iPhone and iPod touch in July.
• Advenio, makers of MacGourmet, are bringing a yet-to-be-named recipe application to iPhone.
• The amazing ApolloIM app will be going legal for all of you IM addicts.
• Michael Howard at Midnight Martian Software is bringing his 3D OpenGL-based Midnight Mahjong Solitaire to market soon!!

Quoted from: TUAW

With Apple releasing iPhone v2.0 firmware betas left and right, the iPhone is shaping up with support for more and more features. The latest iPhone firmware beta has revealed that the next firmware revision will enable FM radio and iPhone 3GFOTA (firmware over the air) support on the iPhone.

FM radio support could point toward the iPhone working with FM radio-products like Apple’s “iPod Radio Remote” that essentially allows iPod users to listen to broadcast radio. FOTA support indicates that future firmware updates could be rolled out over the air, with no need to synchronize the iPhone with iTunes in order to update the device’s firmware. With the iPhone 3G’s faster data connection allowing for software and firmware updates through the cellular network, firmware updates could become even more streamlined and hassle-free than its current form.

Unfortunately, OTA firmware updates could mean that Apple could possibly send software updates that will re-lock previously unlocked handsets wirelessly.

You gotta take the good with the bad - OTA firmware updates may prove to be more good than bad.

Quoted from: IntoiPhone

A recently published patent application discovered by MacRumors reveals that Apple has been researching more advanced uses of the built in sensors on the iPhone to predict what the user wants to do. The patent application describes various scenarios in which a mobile phone could automatically change its configuration based on built-in sensors.

Apple describes the use of proximity sensors, ambient light detectors, temperature sensors and accelerometers to help determine the current state of the device. Apple has already incorporated basic state detection into the iPhone. When a user holds the current iPhone to their ear, the proximity sensor disables the touch screen to prevent unintentional key presses.

Combined with similar sensors in Bluetooth wireless headsets, Apple proposes some additional possibilities:

- Accelerometer to determine if device is being picked up
- Temperature, ambient light, and proximity sensors to determine if device in a pocket
- Proximity to see if the phone is held up to your ear or Bluetooth headset is being worn
- Audio detection to see if you start talking into Bluetooth headset vs phone

Based on a combination of these situations, the iPhone could change configuration. Examples given include: Turning vibrating ring on when placed in your pocket. Turning off speakerphone when holding the phone to your ear. Routing the call correctly to your wireless headset or your phone depending on which one you are planing on using at that time (based on speaking into, wearing or picking up the appropriate device).

One final intriguing possibility also described is using the docking/undocking of the iPhone to trigger certain events.

Specifically, Apple describes passing off voice over IP (VOIP) calls from the computer to the phone and back again. With the phone docked, the user could answer the phone using their computer’s speaker and microphone, and then automatically pass this call over to the phone when it is removed from the dock. This passing-off of phone calls between the iPhone and iChat was previously depicted in a concept iPhone video (at 14m 15s) by Abilene Christian University.

Quoted from: MacRumors

An iPhone version of Adobe’s ubiquitous Flash plug-in is still early into development, the company has admitted. In an earnings call for Adobe’s second financial quarter, CEO Shantanu Narayen has responded to questions on if and when Flash will be ready for the iPhone 3G, which itself is only expected to ship on July 11th. Apple has long blocked the normal desktop version of Flash from the iPhone, insisting that it consumes too much battery power.

“With respect to the iPhone, we are working on it,” says Narayen. “We have a version that’s working on the [SDK] emulation. This is still on the computer and you know, we have to continue to move it from a test environment onto the device and continue to make it work. So we are pleased with the internal progress that we’ve made to date.”

Apple has meanwhile begun parallel development with SproutCore, a JavaScript framework that my provide functionality similar to Flash. The latter standard is still likely to be needed however, as it is used on many popular media-heavy websites.

Quoted from: MacNN

If you’ve hacked your iPhone, chances are you’ve come across a fun little application called Sketches. While it’s not very useful (but entertaining) in it’s current state, it’s in for some big improvements. Ars Technica’s Clint Ecker caught up with Jorge and Pedro of LateNightSoft, and they say that Sketches will indeed be in the App Store, with some major additions. Ars talked about it with them, as well as their experiences of developing for jailbroken iPhones vs. the App Store.
The new version’s main screen is a cork board showing all of your sketches. You can choose between a photo from your camera roll, several pre-made background like paper or leather, a solid color, a map (centered with Core Location), or even a web page. It also has the ability to zoom in, letting you draw with much greater accuracy for things like writing text.

They’ve also added several fun vector shapes to scale and rotate, like speech bubbles, mustaches, hats, cartoonish Apple hardware, holiday symbols, and more. When you’re finished, you can share it with your Twitter followers. They haven’t settled on a price yet, but say that it will be affordable to the average user.

Quoted from: iPhoneAlley

When Apple announced the iPhone apps store several months ago, it appeared to signal the end for the popular homebrew Installer.app by Nullriver. While the application has a few developer creations that cost money to use, most of the library is completely free, letting people load up on useful applications without spending a dime. The application became so popular it started coming with popular unlock and jailbreak utilities, including ZiPhone, which has had more than 3 million downloads of its latest version.

Apple’s new system is a different story. It doesn’t cost anything, but developers must go through the company’s QA for approval and inclusion. Developers can also charge users to use their applications at the point or purchase instead of relying on time or feature restrictions post-download. There’s also the SDK, which makes it viable for companies to spin out entirely new development teams to port over versions of their Web apps or software that are specially tuned for the device.

The obvious guess here is that the Installer.app will simply go the way of the dinosaurs because of Apple’s own first party creation, but I think the groundbreaking tool has life left in it yet. Nothing besides the apps store says people will no longer want to jailbreak their phones. The new marketplace sure looks nice, but it’s not going to have everything people want. There will be all manner of apps that don’t make the cut and the developers that built them will want to hawk them somewhere else.

Another thing to take into account is one of the important things not included in Apple’s latest software–customization.

One of the early killer apps for the iPhone was Summerboard, a simple tool that would completely re-skin the look and feel of your phone. No such application is likely to make its way to the app store, since no app made through the SDK can have that level of control. The same goes for potential VoIP apps that can be integrated at a very deep level into the device’s calling software.

There’s still a huge market for these things, whether Apple is willing to allow it or not. I’m not surprised the company has passed on the potential cash cow. Nokia practically built an empire in the 1990s by selling phones with interchangable faceplates, but ultimately the ratio of quality to crap from third-party creators was off the charts. That stigma still exists for some users, which is why it’s likely Apple passed on adding a user replaceable battery if only to limit the offshoot of companies that would likely create glitter, and clear plastic replacements.

What it comes down to this time around is readiness. A cheaper price point means more people are likely to want and actually afford the device. The new architecture also means those same hordes of people will be open to having non-Apple applications on their phone. While I have no doubt Apple will easily pull in huge numbers from paid apps in the coming months, Installer.app might have a few surprises up its sleeves.

Quoted from: WebWare

As expected, Steve Jobs has announced the much anticipated 3G iPhone during his keynote address at WWDC today. The new device comes as an update to the current iteration of the iPhone, which did not have 3G. 3G will enable much faster browsing speeds than the current iPhone. Continue reading for an extensive gallery, and a full overview of the device.

According to Steve Jobs “it’s very nice”. We all knew that, but what makes it very nice? Well how does solid metal buttons, a flush headphone jack, gloss black, 3G, a better “feel”, better call quality, and a thinner iPhone sound? Well that is what you will be getting with this new device. This is not all Apple is updating though, not by a long shot.

They also added GPS to the iPhone, a feature many had desperately hoped for. Over the next few months this new iteration of the iPhone will be available in 70 countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Sweden.

The price will be $199 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 16GB model, and $399 for the 32GB model. 32GB of storage has been rumored for quite some time, so this is not a surprise. The device will also come in white, and will be the same price around the world. The new iPhone will be available July 11th. Though I would not expect to be able to get one without a fight.

Quoted from: iPhoneBuzz

And they just keep rolling in like unstoppable forces of nature. The iPhone 3G (or 3G iPhone / iPhone 2, call it what you want) rumors are starting to get dizzyingly out of hand. Late last night we saw some purported marketing material leaked out for all 3G iPhone hopefuls to drool over, but it didn’t stop there.

Apple’s next-generation iPhone will run on an as yet unreleased version of the iPhone firmware, and it seems that said firmware has already been leaked and it’s details have seemingly found their way through the labyrinth of inter-tubes to land on many a blog’s front-page. So, it’s only appropriate that we clue our dear readers in to what the iPhone 3G firmware purportedly confirms.

Infineon S-GOLD3H 3G chip for iPhoneThe code apparently confirms that tri-band (850/1900/2100Mhz) HSDPA is in the cards for the iPhone 2. There are numerous mentions to UMTS/HSDPA hardware running on all three frequency bands, and the code confirms that the Infineon-sourced S-GOLD3 3G chip will be handling the bulk of the data-legwork. We’ve been expecting this for a while now, so it’s not really new news, just newsworthy news (get my drift?).

We also see that A-GPS is a lock for the upcoming iPhone 3G. The firmware code shows that software for determining location based on network data and satellite signals is embedded within and should make for some snappy GPS location-acquisition times.

Oh, and the next-generation iPhone will be powered by the same CPU as the current generation - which means that the ARM 1176JZF-S CPU will be running the show.

There’s more. To keep things exciting, iPhone Atlas has apparently been tipped off by a Vodafone employee who’s had a chance to get some hands-on time with the 3G iPhone. The employee says that the iPhone is glossy black, serves up location data with haste (it purportedly determines position through WiFi, cell tower triangulation, and A-GPS - in that order) and has a 3-meter accuracy, will be about 20% smaller (thinner, in other words), and gets an average throughput of 140Kbps.

Now, that 140Kbps throughput value is a bit disappointing, as the current iPhone’s EDGE speeds easily hit that mark indoors and outdoors. The data speeds quoted by alleged Vodafone employee are likely (if true) UMTS numbers and not HSDPA speeds. Still, it’s good to here that the A-GPS is quick and the handset is slimmer than the original. Interestingly, there’s no mention a video-call camera occupying that mysterious third optical sensor location.

Perhaps more importantly, we’re hearing that the 3G iPhone is locked down like no other iPhone before it (which is to say, the first iPhone). The hardware bootloader exploit for jailbreaking and unlocking the iPhone has been closed, which means that jailbreaking the next-generation iPhone will be tougher - if not, dare we say it, impossible. Let’s hope the iPhone Dev Team’s Pwnage Tool works with the new firmware.

Now, all we have to do is sit back and wait for the iPhone to get announced more 3G iPhone rumors to roll in. At least it gives us something to do while we wait in agony for the iPhone to launch.

Quoted from: IntoMobile