Apple Video iPods: It is an Amazing Gadget!

by Raina Kelsey
Yes, with the Apple video iPods the whole world is your theater, a more enchanting theater. Coming with a 30GB or 80GB iPod in hand, those movies and songs which were your favourite fits comfortably, efficiently next to TV shows, and new iPod games.

The Apple video ipod can store podcasts, and, of course, audiobooks, photo albums, an entire library of music -- up to 20,000 songs, in fact. Users of the phone would find that his or her iPod occupies the same size that of the size of the pocket. It is indeed amazing that the Apple ipod stores up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, and up to 100 hours of video -- or any combination of each.

So, next time you can browse your favourite movies on the iTunes Store, download the ones you want (say Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl etc.), then sync it to your iPod. The same method applies for TV episodes.

Beside the song, movie and entertainment features. Users of the gadget would find, it can be customized with those accessories that special for you. Just the user has to pick up an iPod Universal Dock for more easy syncing.

And there is an iPod Hi-Fi for room-filling sound. Syncing of the photos on the go with an iPod Camera Connector is easy and efficient. Moreover, there is an attachment feature in the gadget where a voice recorder is used to take audio notes.

It might be a miracle that Apple iPhone comes with all these features. Otherwise, it's hard to explain explicitly exactly how 30GB of storage can easily fit into an iPod that's over thirty percent thinner than the previous fourth generation.

Interestingly, it is indeed a very tough job to search and hear among 20,000 songs. But the feature that is included in the iPod has enabled the users to find and search his or her favourite songs or video clips.
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Launching Of iPhone in UK

by Andrena Markley
Putting an end to the long waiting, the most talked Apple iPhone will finally make its entry in the UK market by the month of November. As expected the anticipated Apple iPhone will come with noted network service provider O2. As per the reports of theTimes, O2 have won the UK iPhone Deal, and of course the iPhone will be on sale for about £300. However, there is no much information about the version to be launched. Another source is also of the opinion that the UK iPhone will be launched for sale in the market on 9 November, and the 8GB version will cost around £269, which will be available with various plans, including unlimited data, costing £35, £45 and £55 per month. Further it is also assumed that the Apple iPhone will come with free Wi-Fi and access to more than 7000 Wi-Fi hotspots in and around the UK. And for availing all this opportunities a probable buyer have to sign up a contract for 18 months with a limitation of a fair usage agreement of 1,400 internet pages. As for O2 it is a remarkable success to acquire the exclusive rights to sell Apple's iPhone in the UK. Also with a most sought-after deal it marks a major opportunity for more than 18 million-customer group. As critics opine the iPhone which is to be on sale in the UK just few weeks before Christmas is expected to prove a great blessing for O2 which would ensure its sustenance in one of Europe's highly-competitive mobile market. However, it is a great news for the mobile phone aficionados, that very soon they would be able to use the Apple iPhone, which have been occupying the major part of the conversation of every Briton's coffee house gossips. Feature wise the phone is superb with latest technologies and advanced connectivity features, superlative Internet features and a better quality wide screen iPod capabilities. The most astounding feature of this phone is its iTune compatibility, a rich HTML email client and Safari which can automatically synchronise bookmarks from a users PC or Mac. With all its features, Apple iPhone is a revolutionary device specially designed to rule the mobiledom.
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Apple iPhone-A revolutionary new generation mobile phone

by Martin Dev
Born to be admired, Apple iPhone is a phone with magnificient features encompassed in a slim profile. A single glimpse of the Apple iPhone, can leave life long impression on those people who have slightest liking towards beauty. In an appealingly elegant body, Apple iPhone houses some of the brilliant attributes of sophistications which can be hardly found in any of its contemporaries.

Before the launching of the Apple iPhone, people had different types of expectations and if we are to observe from a neutral point of view, the Apple iPhone have no way demurred the expectations of the people. Especially when we talk about the rich HTML e-mail client and Safari - it is perhaps the most efficient Web browser ever implanted on a tiny device like mobile phone. And its functioning is also unparalleled--it can automatically synchronise bookmarks from the users PC or Mac. Further it is complemented with Google and Yahoo! Search.

Apple iPhone is a superb multi-functioning device. Unlike other gadgets, it doesnot rstrict two actions simultaneously. To make it more clear, in the iPhone users can peacefully read a Web page, while simultaneously downloading his e-mail in the background using Wi-Fi or EDGE.

As a music player too Apple iPhone has a distinctive position. Any users can listen to his favourite music tracks with the help of iTunes CoverFlow. And for storing one's music or videos of choice, too the phone has a massive store house of 4GB and 8GB, which comes with its different versions. With a magnanimous memory Apple iPhone offers abundant space to effortlessly save almost all data a person would like to carry along.

Now if we don't mention about its photography powers it would be biased to some extent. The integrated 2.0 MP camera in the iphone will never let you repent for not capturing those scenic beauty that you ardently desire to keep close to your eyes. So capture digital quality photography with its 2 mega pixel camera and cherish the magical moments of your life by taking amazing video clips. Bring alive your reminiscences with the help of its touchscreen video controls which would allow you to play, rewind, forward or pause your stored video files. Above all you can stay in constant touch touch with your loved ones by sharing photos and videos, sending e-mails, MMS and SMS whenever you want.

And when you feel bored you can download and play exciting games in this device. The big and high resolution display screen of the mobile makes viewing of videos and downloads distinct. With multiple functionalities entitles in a single entity, Apple iPhone is an all-in-one gadget with numerous possibilities of entertainment on the go.

To be more elaborate, Apple iPhone is a mystery in itself. The list of features of this keenly-awaited iPhone is much more than that could be expressed in words. From camera to Internet browsers, iPod to gaming applications, EDGE to Bluetooth what else can you expect in this tiny quad band GSM phone?

Apple iPhone is a revolutionary creation which allows users to make a call by simply tapping a name or number from the users phonebook, his favourite list or from the call history.

Operating on Mac OS X, it can make you feel excellent multimedia dreams all at your finger tips. It lacks a stylus or a keypad, but acelerometer and proximity sensor makes it an easy-to use device.

If we are to conclude in a few words, Apple iPhone can be best described as a high definition Internet computer, a remarkable iPod device, a highly-functional camera and an excellent communication device all perfectly mingled in a single entity.
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Does RIM have right tone to stall iPhone?

Chris Sorensen
Business Reporter

Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., now has evidence to support his contention that Apple Inc.'s much-hyped iPhone is not the threat it was initially made out to be.

However, at least one analyst is warning that Apple's wireless ambitions are not to be underestimated over the long term.

A recent survey conducted by the NPD Group found U.S. buyers of the iPhone – essentially a cellphone, iPod and Web browser rolled into a touch-screen device – were 10 times more likely than other phone buyers to have previously owned a Palm Treo, and three times more likely to have owned a T-mobile-branded device such as the Sidekick, which also offers a full keyboard and large screen.

By contrast, the survey of more than 13,000 mobile-phone customers found that iPhone buyers were no more likely than the average buyer to have previously owned a BlackBerry, suggesting that the iPhone's snazzy interface and "lifestyle"-focused features have so far held less appeal for the business-oriented BlackBerry crowd.

Ross Rubin, the director of industry analysis at NPD, attributed the finding to the fact that many companies emphasize the need for secure wireless email, something that was not initially offered with the iPhone, and are likely to already be running the Microsoft Exchange server that is supported by the BlackBerry wireless email system.

"It may also have something to do with users being accustomed to, or preferring, a physical keyboard, although we saw an unusually large number of Treo users switching to the iPhone," Rubin said.

RIM's business has gone into overdrive in recent months and so far appears to have been unaffected by the June launch of the iPhone, which sold more than one million units in less than three months. Waterloo-based RIM is adding more than a million new subscribers each quarter as it muscles its way into the consumer market.

Nevertheless, some analysts warn that Apple, which has not yet struck a deal with a Canadian wireless carrier to offer the iPhone here, should not be counted as simply a niche player in the cellphone game.

Andrew Neff, an analyst at Bear Stearns, argued in a research note this week that CEO Steve Jobs has become increasingly focused on market leadership and anticipating where Apple is heading as opposed to what it offers today. He cited Apple's decision to partner with only one wireless carrier in each market – a move that was initially criticized for limiting the company's potential sales.

"In our view, it was a breakthrough move that has changed industry economics by shifting power away from the carriers," he wrote, referring to the arrangement Apple struck with AT&T Inc. that forces consumers to activate their phones via Apple's iTunes website and gives Apple a cut of monthly subscription fees.

As for RIM, Neff said his firm's most recent survey showed BlackBerry users were beginning to buy iPhones, which he said is actually better understood as a portable personal computer.
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Hackers Release Their Own iPhone SDK

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced Wednesday that his company will release a software-development kit for the iPhone in February, to allow programmers to produce third-party applications for the device. But hackers have already come up with their own software-development kit. It allows them to deliver any code they want to the iPhone, including viruses, Trojan horses and the ability to snoop on audio and video.

Developer H.D. Moore has added support for iPhone attacks to the Metasploit Framework. Metasploit is an open source hacking tool used by computer-security administrators and black hats alike to create security applications and exploits.

Moore posted sample exploits and detailed instructions this week on how to write and deliver code that can take complete control of an iPhone.

The move takes hackers one step closer to being able to remotely and surreptitiously take control of an iPhone and turn it into a surveillance device.

But it also makes it easier for white hats to develop and install custom software for their own iPhones.

Moore's tool and exploits take advantage of a vulnerability in the TIFF image-rendering library that's used by the iPhone's browser, mail and music software.

It's the same vulnerability that has allowed numerous Apple customers to unlock and customize their iPhones. But Moore's Metasploit Framework does much more, giving hackers remote shell access to iPhones that will allow them to run any code on the device.

"All you have to do is get somebody to open a TIFF image with an exploit in it ,and you've owned the phone," says Rik Farrow, a security consultant and corporate speaker who delivered a security talk to Apple employees last year.

Attackers could conceivably write code to hijack the contacts in an iPhone address book, access the list of received and sent calls and messages, turn the phone into a listening device, track the user's location, or instruct the phone to snap photos of the user's surroundings -- including any companions who may be in view of the camera lens.

Moore wrote on his blog that the iPhone is more vulnerable than other phones, because every application on the phone runs as "root." That means a bug in the calculator application, for example, could lead to full access privileges on the device.

Simply patching the TIFF vulnerability in the iPhone won't solve Apple's problem. The Metasploit Framework allows hackers to easily mix and match exploits and payloads. That means hackers can develop code for the iPhone independent of any particular security hole, then deliver by means of whatever vulnerability in the phones is known and still unpatched at the time.

Jobs said in his announcement that the company is moving slowly on releasing the official SDK because it wants to provide broad access to developers, while also protecting users from hackers and others who might have ill designs on cracking the phones. That suggests the company recognizes it made a blunder by allowing full system privileges for every application.

"Apple is savvy enough to realize that this is really terrible," says Farrow. "And it's going to take them until February to actually be able to release the SDK, because they're going to have to do basic things to the cellphone operating system itself to make it secure. So we're not just talking about a software-development kit, we're talking about fixing something that has major flaws in the security of it as it exists."

But Moore and Farrow say to fix the problem, the company will need to do more, such as create precise rules in the system to limit what a malicious application can do on the phone.

"From what I've seen of the design of the phone, it doesn't look like an easy task," Moore says.

So why didn't Apple do this before releasing the phone?

"Apple wants to sell really fancy, glitzy appliances that have great consumer appeal," Farrow says. "And security has never been one of those things that has great consumer appeal. So Apple is totally correct to ship out an insecure product, because people snap them up. But at the same time I'm sure that there were engineers at Apple saying, 'This is totally insane. We are going to get so hammered for this.'"

"There are some very clue-ful people there. But my impression is that they have to work very hard to make security a priority."

Apple did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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Sprint, HTC Unveil Touch, The Latest IPhone Rival

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and High Tech Computer Corp. ( 2498.TW) unveiled the Touch, a touchscreen smartphone they hope can take on the iPhone.

It's the latest in the wave of touchscreen phones unveiled in the aftermath of Apple Inc. (AAPL) and carrier partner AT&T Inc's (T) successful launch - Verizon Wireless also unveiled two phones utilizing the technology. For HTC, it marks an unusually splashy debut for a handset maker that typically leaves its logo off the product. The Touch, meanwhile, fills out Sprint's portfolio of smartphones.

"This device is for someone who can't live without either the (professional or personal) world," said Jason Cole, product manager at Sprint.

The Touch is positioned closer to the higher end of its range of smartphones with a $249 price tag with a two-year contract. Late last month, Sprint unveiled the Palm Inc. (PALM) Centro for $99, giving it a low-end offering. Research in Motion Ltd.'s (RIMM) Blackberry line and the older Palm Treos lie in the middle.

Sprint, which is among the most aggressive carriers in pushing data services, wants to get more smartphone and feature phone products in its line-up because it encourages the use of services beyond simple voice.

This is among the higher profile launches for Taiwan-based HTC, which has long provided smartphones that carried the brand of the carriers it supplies. It is the largest provider of smartphones using Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Windows Mobile operating system. The Touch, however, carries the HTC logo in its back, a signal that it wants to make a name for itself.

"We want to build some of HTC value over time," said Peter Chou, chief executive of HTC. "We want to show that the HTC brand mean a quality device."

While it's uncertain how well the Touch will do in the U.S. - it's interface isn't as elegant as the iPhone, despite Chou's assurances that they keyboard function is superior - the device has already done well in Asia and Europe. The Touch has already sold 800,000 units overseas since its debut in June.

The Touch actually came out overseas before the iPhone hit the market in the U.S. Both devices have pushed the focus on touchscreen technology as a user interface.

"I believe this will become quite a trend," Chou said of future phones.

Verizon Wireless, jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), recently unveiled the Voyager and Venus by LG Electronics Inc. (066570.SE), which feature similar technology.

On the iPhone, Chou said it is an entertainment device with a phone. In comparison, he considers the Touch a high-end phone with entertainment capabilities, touching upon HTC's experience in creating cellphones.

While comparisons to the iPhone are inevitable, HTC said the phone has been in development for two years.
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Apple Promises Third-Party SDK for iPhone, iPod Touch

Apple on Oct. 17 announced that it will provide a software development kit for third parties to create applications for the company's popular iPhone and iPod Touch.
"We want native third-party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers' hands in February. We are excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users," read a posting signed by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on company's Web site.

Previously, Apple has limited non-Apple iPhone development to "Web 2.0" implementations for use only online, and in the iPhone's Safari Web browser.

That brought criticism that has caused some pushback from developers. Safari-encased Web applications cannot be used without a live Internet connection, and do not share prime application icon space in the iPhone's main window.

Some developers have relied on hacks that "unlock" or "jailbreak" iPhones, such as
The recent iPhone 1.1.1 update eliminated many of the bugs that enabled this. In response, some customers accused Apple of intentionally "bricking" modified iPhones and one class-action lawsuit about this was filed in California.
Apple did not respond to inquiries seeking more details on the upcoming SDK and asking why it took so long to respond to developer demands for an SDK, which could have prevented a lot of complaints and hard feelings in the market.

But the Apple's online Hot News letter stated that, "It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc."


In addition, the letter gave the approving example of how Nokia requires potential phone applications to have an approved "digital signature" before it can be loaded onto a Nokia handset.

Calling it a "step in the right direction." the letter said that Apple is "working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone's amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs."
This does not ensure that developers will need to step through an approval and registration process with Apple, or AT&T, Apple's cell carrier partner for the iPhone, though this partnership is irrelevant with the iPod Touch.

It is worth noting, however, that one of the new features of Leopard, the new version of Apple's operating system due on Oct. 26, is signed applications.

This allows developers, including Apple and third parties, to include a digital signature with applications. According to Apple, this enables the OS to verify the identity of each application, ensuring that corrupted or hacked versions will not open.
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