Apple's new iPhone
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iPhone update could provide cut and paste functions... at last!

The latest speculation surrounding the impending version 1.1.3 firmware for iPhone is that it will, at long last, contain the highly sought after cut and paste functionality.

WIRED magazine, in their Gadget Lab, take a suitably sarcastic tone in reporting the "news" lifted from MacScoop:

"Called Copy-and-Paste, this innovative feature lets the user take any piece of text on the screen, select it and then copy it to a temporary memory buffer, which Apple is calling the ClipBoard™. From there, the text can be re-inserted anywhere else. Why would you want this? Well, imagine being able to Copy-and-Paste a piece of a web page into an email, for example. The possibilities are endless. This forward thinking is typical of Apple."

What isn't clear, though, is exactly how this feature (presuming it's genuine) will work. Plenty of people who have bemoaned the iPhone's lack of such a feature have come up with their own ideas of how it should be done, but Apple will only do it one way.

Let's hope that it's as genuinely easy to use as the rest of the iPhone's interface, and doesn't interfere with any existing functionality.

(Via WIRED)

Posted by Andy Merrett on January 3, 2008 2:55 PM in Latest iPhone news| iPhone rumours
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Rumour: iPhone to get TomTom GPS module

Engadget has been sent a rather grainy picture supposedly showing the iPhone running an external GPS unit and associated software from TomTom.

Of course, it's likely to be a rather poor Photoshop job, but the whole concept of GPS on the iPhone is something that many people want.

If Apple don't build their own version in, but do allow proper third-party applications to be installed, then we could start to see devices like this come on to the market next year.

Having something like this sticking out of the dock connector is a bit unsightly, though. It also looks like it could easily be snapped off. An official built-in version would be much better.

(Via Engadget)

Posted by Andy Merrett on December 12, 2007 3:54 PM in iPhone rumours
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Why your iPhone needs protecting

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Currently found in the hands and pockets of millions of mobile users across the world, the first iPhone did not hit our shelves until 2007.

For a product which is relatively new, iPhones have quickly established themselves as a coveted item and unfortunately this means owners must take the necessary measures to protect their beloved phone from harm.

With their bright, touch-screen displays illuminating the surrounding area, iPhones are easily detectable by thieves and this makes owners wary of flashing them in public.

Unfortunately, physical threats are not the only problem to have afflicted these devices over the years. On top of the danger of theft or damage, iPhone users also face threats from the digital world and in some ways these can be more harmful.

In fact, in July 2007 SC Magazine had already launched a report on how the first exploit of the device had been found - just months after the first devices were sold to an eager public.

Since then, Apple has taken the protection of their beloved device very seriously. In August 2011, CNN reported on how this dedication had seen the company take drastic measures - employing one of the most famous iPhone hackers (Nicholas Allegra who operated under the pseudonym Comex) for an internship.

Despite these moves, problems with security continued, albeit through somewhat different sources - namely the internet.

With Smartphones such as these connecting to the internet in multiple ways, the threat of hacking and internet viruses is rife.

One of the benefits of phones such as these is they can receive emails in the same manner as text messages. Unfortunately this function also means your phone could be at risk from online threats even when idle - making protection vital.

Luckily, companies such as Secure Web Point have developed a solution for this, offering services which are designed to keep you and your personal details safe at all times.

Failure to protect these details can lead to identity theft and internet fraud, causing mass disruption and devastation to those affected.

Even online banking details can be stolen if you do not protect your internet connections and your IP (Internet Protocol) address can reveal data such as your home location, giving criminals all the information and opportunities they need.

Investing in mobile VPN for iPhone is the best way to secure your Smartphone from these threats, providing protection which enables you to browse the internet free from worry.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows networks to be extended in a secure manner using the internet. By creating them in a form suitable for mobile phones, developers are offering a way for users to protect their valuable details, allowing them to use all of their phone's fantastic features without worrying about the potential risk.

3G iPhone coming next year says AT&T CEO; analysts unfazed

AT&T's CEO, Randall Stephenson, yesterday said that Apple would be introducing a 3G version of the iPhone next year.

Given the faux pas of other CEOs with some relationship to Apple, it's worth noting that this is not an official statement from Apple, so we don't know exactly if and when a 3G iPhone will come, and where it will launch first.

Steve Jobs hinted at the UK iPhone launch that it would be late 2008 before 3G chips had advanced enough not to be too much of a power drain.

Will Apple remain loyal to its US customers first, given that they got the iPhone first, or will they choose to launch in a much more 3G-hungry Europe?

Only time will tell. In the meantime, an analyst with AmTech, Shaw Wu, considers that the 3G market is only just emerging, but isn't clear.

"RIM is the other major smart phone player, they have been doing really well, but they don't have a 3G. That says something", Wu concluded.

He's looking at the US market, though, where 3G isn't so much of a deal as it is in Europe. Perhaps another reason why Europeans should get a 3G iPhone first?

(Via International Business Times and The Seattle Times)

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 30, 2007 12:45 PM in iPhone rumours
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iPhone SDK may be in the hands of selected developers

It seems that some developers may already have the official software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone, scheduled to be generally released in February next year, according to "reliable sources".

It helps fuel the belief that Apple may well prefer that a select group of developers be given full access to the iPhone.

If it's true, it's a good move as it means we could have some decent third-party applications in early 2008.

(Via Tech.co.uk)

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 29, 2007 12:16 PM in iPhone rumours
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Only 26,500 iPhones activated via O2, sources suggest

"Reliable channel sources" suggest that just 26,500 iPhones have been activated with O2 since its launch nearly three weeks ago. The Carphone Warehouse has supposedly sold only 11,000.

Though that figure is below the optimistic estimates of 100,000 to be sold on the first weekend, it should be remembered that (apart from the fact that the accounts of anonymous "sources" can't be corroborated, more iPhones may have been bought as Christmas presents, or (shock, horror) for the purpose of unlocking (not that anyone appears to have managed yet)

We'll have to wait for some more official figures, and probably the end of the festive season, before making a judgement on the success of the iPhone's UK launch.

(Via The Register)

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 28, 2007 3:32 PM in iPhone rumours
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3G iPhone for Spain in May 2008?

According to a contact at Telefonica Spain, they would have liked to launch the first generation iPhone at around the same time as the UK, France, and Germany, but due to a lack of handsets, and Telefonica's wish to reduce the percentage of revenue they were required to share with Apple, that couldn't happen.

However, the same "source" also raised the possibility of a 3G iPhone coming to Spain in May 2008.

Though Steve Jobs has ruled out 3G to date, I'd expect such a version to appear sooner rather than later next year. What will be interesting is how such a device will be rolled out.

Might Apple choose a new country (such as Spain) to release it, or roll it out across all existing iPhone zones? Obviously, the States will have waited the longest for a hardware update, though arguably they require 3G the least.

Would Apple alienate British, German, and French consumers by releasing a 3G iPhone so soon after the 2.5G one?

No doubt Apple and all the telcos involved will want to downplay any possibility of a souped up iPhone so soon after Christmas, lest pre-holiday sales dry up as a result.

(Via The Register)

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 22, 2007 12:44 PM in iPhone rumours
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The Google Phone rumour just won't die

Rumours surrounding an iPhone-killing Google phone just won't go away. We thought Google had already confirmed an entry-level mobile phone aimed at emerging markets, and that it was working on an open-source operating system from which its applications could be run on any compatible mobile phone.

However, the Daily Telegraph is reporting that Google is "just weeks away" from launching an open platform handset.

Part of the excitement surrounds the fact that Google wants to keep its software open, allowing external software developers to build and add-on additional features.
While Google itself declines to comment, market chatter surrounding the Google phone has now become so intense that the majority of commentators agree that some form of work has to be going on.

(Via Daily Telegraph)

Posted by Andy Merrett on October 31, 2007 3:46 PM in iPhone rumours
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