iPhone and Porn

Apple has tried to make sure porn stays out of the iTunes app store.  Perhaps, Apple should just let the issue be and put some sort of stricter access to the apps that are not for general consumption.

I think, eventually, such a move may serve Apple in the long turn.  Maybe porn wouldn't be the only category of apps that it will find offensive. 

Don't be surprise if the ACLU or a group dedicated to digital freedom sues Apple and anyone else looking to restrict access to apps based on  or a court with an unique sense of net neutrality will force wireless providers and app stores to open up regardless of the materials or values provided by the apps. 

More at Onxo.

Apple Issues Docs Addressing Heat With iPhones

Apple quickly addressed issues regarding heat issues with the iPhones today.  Crediting Cult of Mac here, we get a better understand of Apple's thoughts on the issues.

Titled "Keeping iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS within acceptable operating temperatures", Apple provides some common sense approach to protecting your mobile investment

Essentially, you need to keep the iPhone from situations where it could really heat up.  Direct sunlight or an environment with excess heat, like in a car.  Truly, common sense.  

Here is what folks need to keep in mind.  The iPhone and other mobile devices like it are not really mobile phones.  The iPhone is a mobile computing platform that happens to be able to make phone calls.  Other than that you can do 95% of your daily Internet tasks, computing, and entertainment all on this excellently engineered mobile computer.

Apple provides two temperate ranges.  One for operating and another for storage.

• Operate iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F). Low- or high-temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or cause the device to temporarily stop working properly.
• Store iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Don't leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.

Operating the iPhone outside of recommended parameters can affect battery life and iPhone functionalities.  Discoloration of the case would be the least of your worries.

Source:  Cult of Mac, Apple Support Docs

Using Voice Memos As A Podcasting App

With iPhone 3.0 and 3GS soaking up all the attention, perhaps Voice Memos is the most ignored feature of the iPhone.  There really has not been enough attention given to this most excellent app from Apple.

I spent an hour chatting with my cousin about politics, the potential of green tech growth, and international trade, I decided to make a podcast out of our conversation.  My cousin's a PhD in economics  and as for myself, I keep up with current events in economics, politics, and, for the most part, I am fairly intelligent.

I had my choice of my Macbook, an iPhone 3G, 2nd generation iPod Touch, and a G1 all are capable of recording the podcast.  I decided since the iPhone 3G was running low on battery and I didn't want to take my Macbook out of the backpack, I decided to use the Touch and the G1.

How did it go?  First the setting.  I don't like quiet rooms that some podcasts are created in.  There's nothing wrong with that. I just like to record the podcast in a more relaxed setting.  We were at a coffee shop, there was music playing, and some background conversations but none of these ambient noises were too overwhelming.  It wasn't as if there was a band playing or anything like that.

We started chatting with the iPod Touch and G1 recording.  After an hour of podcasting, I stopped the recording.  So which of the two devices did the job?  Or did it worked at all?

The quality from the Touch was incredible.  Using the headset from the iPhone 3G as the mic, the Touch picked up our voices clearly and crisply.  We could here the ambient noises, music, the machine churning out espresso, and other minor sounds but the focus, our conversation was not affected.

And on the G1?  Well, not so good.  The recording was through a headset mic as well.  Our voices were faint and there was a lot of white noise.  Imagine what a subpar AM reception.  That was what it sounded like.

I can't say enough how great the podcast quality on the iPod Touch is.  It definitely shows the attention to the app that Apple gave it.  I'm sure Apple created the Voice Memos to do no more than create short memos but podcasting?  I doubt that.

So, if you're at a conference, show, or anywhere else where you don't have your podcasting equipments with you, just take out your iPhone or iPod Touch and use Voice Memos.

Mobile Tip: Updated Info On Extending Battery Life (Many Tips Specific To iPhone Users)

Last weekend, more than one million iPhone 3GS's were sold and who knows how many more since.  We won't know until Apple reports their earnings in July but some smarty-pants Wall Street know-it-all have already predicted 7 million for the current quarter.

Regardless, that means lots of folks will notice how the battery in the iPhone can't be changed out and if they're heavy users, the newcomers to the iPhone family might notice the battery life can be quite short.

So, we've republished our battery tip from Onxo and added a few new ones to account for iPhone 3.0 and some neat ones from CNet.  From my past experience, these minor adjustments and behavioral changes to our mobile uses have helped extend my iPhone's battery life thorough a day of mobile computing and entertainment.

More at Onxo Mobile Tips.

Apple Expands iPhones For New Carriers In Canada?

Via MacDailyNews, Toronto Star is reporting Bell Canada Inc and Telus Corp have been collaborating on creating their own GSM network to the tune of $1 billion to entice Apple to let them carry the iPhone.

According, the report, launch is expected this fall and the two Canadian wireless providers will be paying huge sums to Apple for the honor.  Previously, It was only Rogers that carried the iPhone, allowing it to pretty much have its way with iPhone customers with sky-high rates.

So, competition is good.  But I wonder if there are additional implications for folks in the US.  There has been no work of Verizon Wireless building a GSM network on top of its CDMA network.  But there are other GSM competitors to ATT in the United States.

T-Mobile, I'm looking at you.  Previously, I had stated the possibility of Apple punishing ATT for not keeping up its end of the partnership by launching the iPhone with T-Mobile.  Well, it's not really possibility but more like wishful thinking on my part.

My reasons are simple.  Apple has worked with T-Mobile's parent company in bring the iPhone 3G to the EU zone.  So, I'm sure if Apple kind of threw it out there, T-Mobile would jump at the chance.  Plus, it'll be a huge negotiation play with ATT on future deals.

Honestly, don't be surprise if this were to happen.  Steve Jobs just got a new liver.  A new lease on life and perhaps a new perspective on the competitive mobile landscape.  If Apple were to bring just the iPhone 3G at $149-199, there would be a lot of folks who detest ATT but don't mind making the switch to T-Mobile from Sprint or Verizon Wireless.

Yes, that is a $50-100 premium over the offer from ATT's iPhone 3G but folks wouldn't have to deal with ATT.

Plus, it makes sense for Apple to do this now that Palm's Pre is deemed a close competitors to the iPhone, Android's potential rise in the 2nd half of 2009, new offerings from RIM, and Microsoft's mobile rebirth.  By offering more sales outlets for the iPhone platform, Apple can force its competitors to battle on more fronts.

Love to hear what you think.

Note:  Apple and ATT does have a deal but no one really knows how long the deal is for and the terms. I'm basing my assumptions (for fun) on the fact that ATT violated the terms of the partnership when it failed to support features in the iPhone 3.0 on a timely matter.

Source:  Toronto Star, MacDailyNews

Related Articles:

• ATT For Net Neutrality - Just Not Wireless Internet
• My Wireless Dream:  No Wireless Gate Keepers!
• Verizon And T-Mobile Should Move to Capitalize on iPhone Users' Unhappiness with ATT

Two Apps I Want With Push Notifications

How many of you know that Google has more than just Maps and Google Earth on the iPhone?  Yahoo has two apps, Yahoo and Yahoo Messenger.

Well, if you don't know, I understand.  Both Google and Yahoo don't really push their iPhone apps all that much on users.  Google is probably torn between supporting Android and keeping Apple happy.  Yahoo has said it'll dedicate more resources to the iPhone development at the cost of other mobile platforms.

However, with Google and Yahoo making the maiden iPhone introduction, both companies have not really done all that much for our favorite mobile device.  And with push notifications now a feature that's likely to play a prominent role with the platform, I'm disheartened to say that neither of these companies have updated their apps with push notifications.

And it stands to make sense that Yahoo and Google offer push notification.  First, there's Google.  The app is nothing more than an app with icons that link you to the mobile web apps in Safari.  And with some features not ready for mobile use, like Blogger and Docs, they serve nothing for the mobile users, iPhone or Android.

I'm being kind to say Google has a lot of catching up to do with their app and but to put it bluntly, Google app is a dismal failure.  Voice Search is cool but it isn't a feature that has lit up iPhone and Apple blogs since its introduction.

Yahoo has the most complete app of the two portal companies.  And I have use Yahoo app from time to time.  I'll get more into Yahoo's app with kickass potentials next but I'm still waiting for the 3.0-compatible version.

Fully, we'll see more from these two companies in the coming weeks rather than months.  Yahoo's app shows the potential of what a big corporation with the right development can leverage its online properties to better serve mobile users.

Punishing ATT And Solidify the iPod Touch As the Premiere Mobile Device

There has been grumblings about ATT in recent weeks.  First, it's ATT.  Second, when Apple unveiled iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 at the WWDC keynote a couple of weeks ago, we find out that ATT has not pulled its weight in the iPhone partnership.

So, talks about Apple and Verizon hooking up intensified, if not in reality then at least with tech bloggers.  I even called out that Apple may even bring the iPhone to T-Mobile just to let ATT know that the iPhone has outgrown it.  Seriously, bring just the iPhone 3G at $99, $149, or even the original price of $199, and Apple will have no problem find millions of T-Mobile fans switching to the only other GSM network in the US.

More and more I think that's not likely to happen.  So what should Apple do?  Well, Apple has created a viable and advanced mobile platform of the which no one has seen before.  When Apple came out with the iPod Touch, even ATT was surprised.

Perhaps Apple can surprise ATT once more with the following changes to the iPod Touch:

• Add a camera just like the one on the iPhone 3GS.  But let iPod Touch owners shoot HD video, namely, 720p.  According to some blogs, the iPhone 3GS is capable of handling 720p video.  I surprise that battery life is the only reason Apple decided against bring 720p video to the iPhone 3GS.  Of course, that can still change with future iPhone 3.0 updates.  
• Give iPod Touch a digital compass as well.  I think this is a given since future apps are likely to take advantage of this new feature.  
• Last, give the iPod Touch GPS.  This too should be a natural upgrade since third parties will be bring turn-by-turn apps to the iPhone platform.  Hence, it stands that Apple will take a percentage of each app sale.  Why limit these apps to iPhones only?

Now, those features seems like evolutionary additions to the iPod Touch.  What Apple ought to do is to bring features to the iPod Touch that the iPhone does not have.  There were talks about an radio antenna just before the iPhone 3GS was introduced.  Perhaps, it would be a feature that Apple can enable for the iPod Touch.  There is no sense for Apple to make iPod Touch play second fiddle to the iPhone.

Oh, and remember some of those doctored pictures that made many, including myself, believe that video chat was coming to the iPhone?  Perhaps, Apple should grace the next generation of iPod Touch this this killer app.  Imagine the kind of pressures this will put on ATT and the other wireless providers.  Millions of iPod Touch owners will be able to chat and see each other through iChat. 

Furthermore, Apple can enable video chat with Macs.  I'm sure that'll sell a few hundred thousand extra Macs a year.  

Apple has been a leader in technology and taking the mobile and computing world in whole new directions for decades.  Perhaps, by providing the iPod Touches with new features not seen in the traditional smartphone market, Apple can finally loosen the grip mobile providers have on us.