This Week in Smartphone Schadenfreude, July 26th Edition
Monday, 28 July 2008

Not evil twin to theiPhoneBlog.com Week in Review, not an invasion by Fake Steve, This Week in Smart Phone Schadenfreude brings you all the feel-better news you need about the smartphone world outside Apple’s current media dominator. (Who knew there was such a world? We were just as surprised! Inelegant, interface challenged, keyboardy, crashy, single-touchy place — best not to linger…). Join us as we mock review the big news from last week at our sister sites. Everybody loves sibling rivalry!
This week: ThuderStorms, iClone Double Feature, Dead Treo’s, and Open Marriages!

Iphone at 13:56 | 0 comments
Job Listing: iPhone Security Engineer aka iPhone Hacker
Saturday, 26 July 2008


So a new employment opportunity popped up at Apple’s job listings the other day and Apple is looking for an experienced iPhone Security Engineer to create “proof of concept” attacks on current security mechanisms and provide risk analysis of potential security threats. Basically, Apple needs an iPhone Hacker to prevent future jailbreaks, unlocks, and security breaches.

So if any of you are good at what you do and want to work for the “good guys”, go give it a try. Apple is trying to ramp up security to protect enterprises who are adopting iPhone 2.0 and more selfishly, protect their own App Store from competition ahem Cydia & Installer. Either way, Apple is getting serious about security and the iPhone.

What do you think? 



Iphone at 12:40 | 0 comments
iPhone 3G in the US and UK: 2 Weeks Later


It’s been two weeks since the July 11th, 22 nation launch. Do you know where your iPhone 3G is? Sadly, for many, the answer is still “backordered” if not “out-of-stock”. But don’t worry, your always customer conscious and perennially consumer focused mobile cell provider wants to make sure you know that they know that you’re feeling some pain. And they want to assure you they’re doing everything they can to get your money you your shiny new iPhone 3G.

First, they are absolutely, positively not hoarding them or stockpiling them in any secret iVaults. It’s still first-come, first-served, and in AT&T is prioritizing direct fulfillment (with a 2 week wait time), and advising their stores are currently sold out. (Hey, they’re moving it twice as fast as last year, remember? Just imagine if they had stock!)

Second, for its part Apple has stopped providing JSON data to independent webbers who were keeping you better informed (than Apple) as to what stores had precisely which units when you got there 15 exactly minutes too late. Back to Apple.com, or the still long line ups outside Apple Retail, for those in the US.

Third, in the UK 02 Online is out, stores are in increasingly short supply, but might get a few more units trickling in today.

Not worried in the least, Apple’s supply-chain wizards plan to launch the iPhone 3G in 20 more countries in just under a month from now. Good luck with that.

Iphone at 12:38 | 0 comments
Sadun Smash Puny App Store Beta Rumors
No, not the 2.1 firmware beta, that one’s for realz. We’re talking here about the Washington Post, which ran a Techcrunch story breaking the news that:

Now we’re hearing from an app developer that Appleis finally going to start rolling out a new beta program in the next few days has released an Ad-Hoc program. Details are slim, but it seems like Apple is capping the total number of beta participants at 100 per app. In order to download a beta app, users will need to submit their iPhone’s UDIDs number to the developer,who will then need to flag its eligibility in the store itself. All betas will still be distributed through the App Store - you won’t be able to download one on an external site.The apps will be directly distributed by the developer.
Sound an awful lot like the Ad-Hoc distribution method Apple announced for educational institutions way back at WWDC to you? Sure did to iPhone developer extraordinaire Erica Sadun, who rumor smashed thusly:

The “Beta Program” will not be released in the “next few days.” Ad-hoc distribution is already available and working. Developers can create ad-hoc provisions through the iPhone Developer Program site today.
Sadun also provides a handy-dandy Ad-hoc Helper app for mailing your UDID directly to a developer, should you be part of an Ad-hoc app distribution group.

Iphone at 12:36 | 0 comments
iPhone 2.1 Rumor: Cut/Copy/Paste Cometh?!


Last night Apple began seeding iPhone firmware 2.1 and SDK Beta 1 to registered developer program members (those who paid the $99 fee and were accepted, and have App Store uploading privileged’s). Word came in early about new features in CoreLocation and Notification Server APIs. Now Engadget is adding the nigh-mythical holy grail of basic smartphone functionality to the list of maybes: Cut, Copy, and Paste!

Another bit which may or may not make it into 2.1 is copy/paste. We’re still both hopeful and skeptical, but supposedly in the new version of the WebKit framework exists commands for “plugins,” “copy,” “paste,” “cut,” and some others. We can’t confirm if these really exist (and if they do, we don’t know how they’ve actually been there, or if they’re simply holdovers from the desktop WebKit frameworks), so don’t hold your breath. 
Greg “Joz” Joswiak, Apple’s head of iPod and iPhone marketing has previously stated that cut, copy, and paste is on the future feature list, but with limited time and resources, Apple didn’t get to it for 2.0. Will 2.1 be different?

What do you think? Any breath holding on your end?



Iphone at 12:35 | 0 comments
Next Version of Installer.app For iPhone 2.0 Software Looks Like It's Getting Close
Friday, 25 July 2008

These screens were released today by the developers of Installer.app showing Installer 4, the next version that will work with jailbroken iPhones running firmware 2.0. By the slick looks of it, it looks like they're getting close. When it's done, it will be multi-threaded (meaning everything doesn't come to a halt while your sources are being updated) and support package dependencies as well. As you know, we can't wait. [RiP Dev Blog]

Iphone at 12:45 | 0 comments
Installer.app for 2.0 is Coming Soon

Installer.app, the app store before that other app store, is coming back for firmware 2.0 and being re-fashioned as Installer 4. Currently, jailbroken 2.0 iPhones are using Cydia as their main app pipeline but when Installer 4 is released, well, they’ll likely play nice with one another and especially nice with that other app store.
The RiP Dev Blog has a lot of complicated, programmer’s type language describing the updates for Installer 4.0 so I’ll try to translate to more understandable, layman’s terms: It’s going to be faster, safer, and more integrated. Bang.
The release of Installer 4.0 seems to be imminent but well, really, there’s no rush, many of the apps that were available for 1.1.x aren’t quite ready for the big time yet. So take your time with Installer 4.0. We here at TiPb would almost always prefer a little delayed polished product over a rushed, rough, not as advertised..yeah, we’re looking at you MobileMe.

Iphone at 11:40 | 0 comments