iPhone Hysteria

[FG Lurker]

Man, Apple has really lost control of the next gen iPhone. Another one has turned up in Vietnam of all places. Lots of pics and a full teardown showing the chipset and CPU. I wonder when the Crapple Gestapo will show up at this guy's door?

[Mike Oxlong]

I know the guy for the "job"...

[yt]Tt0xxAMTp8M[/yt]

[FG Lurker]

...from here.

[BigInJapan]

It was announced on May 27 that 107 Softbank mobile phone models may be victim to phishing (personal information theft).
With the browser's JavaScript setting turned on (default setting?), the Softbank website claims that there is a risk of losing personal information.
Apparently this announcement was made on May 27, but the problem was initially discovered in Nov. 2009, and six months have passed before a formal announcement (Softbank was "reviewing" how to handle it...). And, no SMS messages etc. have been sent to users of these phone.
Article on ITmedia (Japanese).
Softbank pagelisting the pg# of the user manual to change the JavaScript setting.

And if you own an iPhone - no worries

[BigInJapan]

AT&T Announces New Lower-Priced Wireless Data Plans (effective from June 7th)
Customers can pick the new data plan that best meets their needs, either a $15 per month entry plan or a $25 per month plan with 10 times more data. Current smartphone customers are not required to switch to the new plans, but can choose to do so without a contract extension. (Tethering is an extra $20/mo. on top of the $25/mo. DataPro plan for up to 2GB of data)

It will be interesting to see if Softbank also offers similar plans that encompass tethering in Japan (without jailbreaking).

[Marked Trail]

AT&T Announces New Lower-Priced Wireless Data Plans (effective from June 7th)
[I]Customers can pick the new data plan that best meets their needs, either a $15 per month entry plan or a $25 per month plan...[color="Red"] [but capped at 2GB/m rather than the previous unlimited data plan][/color]

Via

[FG Lurker]

Well, as expected the new iPhone was announced by Jobs at the WWDC yesterday.

Gizmodo covers just about everything you could want to know. It arrives in Japan pretty damn soon, June 24th.

One very interesting tidbit that has received a small amount of coverage is that the new phone adds support for the 800MHz band. That might not seem all that important or interesting until you know that doing so makes it a lot more DoCoMo friendly... Is it coming to DoCoMo? That's hard to say, but if Apple starts selling unlocked phones into the Japanese market I can see a large number ending up on NTT's network. I know I'd be interested...

One thing that is disappointing is that Apple hasn't increased the capacity at all. 32GB is going to get small very quickly with HD video, a 5mp camera, and a large music collection.

Before I buy another phone though I am very interested in what Android 2.3 and beyond will look like. Google has hired Matias Duarte, the guy responsible for Palm's webOS interface... I think in the longer term Android and Google will be out in front of Apple -- Apple is making the same mistakes with the iPhone that they made with the Mac.

[FG Lurker]

Had a bit more time to think about iPhone 4.....and I'm actually pretty underwhelmed. Some of the iOS software features are cool but I don't see anything in the new phone's hardware that is particularly interesting. Actually the only hardware change that is really interesting to me at all is the 800MHz band support!

As someone who has worked with Cisco products quite a bit, seeing Apple use iOS as their new iPhone OS name was worth a chuckle. At least they arranged for licensing first, unlike with the iPhone trademark.

Once iOS4 can be jailbroken I will probably upgrade my 3GS to that and stick with this phone for another year (or until something really cool happens with Android.) The software features that interest me are:

• app folders (finally!)
• unified inbox (also *finally!*)
• threaded email conversations
• support for multiple Exchange (and therefore Gmail) accounts (Also possible on jailbroken phones already but official support would be easier to set up. This is mentioned as being in the "enterprise version" of iOS 4, hopefully the rest of us don't get screwed.)
• multitasking (been doing this for a while on my 3GS but the promised better battery life will be nice)

I'm guessing there will be a few more interesting software features too, and hopefully iOS4 isn't a total performance dog on non iPhone 4 hardware. Guess I'll have to wait and see more hands-on reviews before making a final decision but I'm not feeling any upgrade lust at this point...

[BigInJapan]

Had a bit more time to think about iPhone 4.....and I'm actually pretty underwhelmed.

I'm in the same boat. The iPhone 4 would be a consideration for an upgrade from the 3G, but it's basically an incremental upgrade from the 3GS, just not enough features to make me want to switch anytime soon.
I am looking forward to iOS 4 though. I've had no need to jailbreak, but the multi-tasking and other features will bring it pretty close to what JB accomplishes, hopefully without the battery drain.
And it would be nice if they activated 720p video recording on the 3GS as the hardware is capable.

[FG Lurker]

I'm in the same boat. The iPhone 4 would be a consideration for an upgrade from the 3G, but it's basically an incremental upgrade from the 3GS, just not enough features to make me want to switch anytime soon.

A lot will hinge on how well iOS 4 runs on 3GS hardware. I remember upgrading the 3G to iPhone OS 3 and the already slow performance got a helluva lot slower. I'll be waiting to see reports of how well iOS 4 runs on a 3GS before I do any upgrading. I'd sooner have a fast phone with fewer features than something feature-rich that is frustratingly slow.

I am looking forward to iOS 4 though. I've had no need to jailbreak, but the multi-tasking and other features will bring it pretty close to what JB accomplishes, hopefully without the battery drain.

Jailbreak adds a lot of abilities that Apple will never allow or that Softbank limits:

• Tethering
• Create a wifi hotspot to share the 3G connection
• Turn WiFi, VPN, 3G, Bluetooth, etc on and off with a single swipe & tap rather than navigating menus
• Brightness adjustment the same way (swipe and tap)
• Full *nix command line, including all expected utils (SSH client and server, for example)
• Kill app processes that are misbehaving without having to wait for the OS to do it or having to reboot the phone
• Use WiFi-only apps over the 3G network
• Instill unlimited and freely available ringtones
• Change the mail or SMS tones
• Google Voice app
• Block those annoying popup notifications for SMS etc
• Icons in the status bar for new emails, SMS, missed calls, voicemails
• Cool Jailbreak only apps like MxTube

There are actually so many different things that I have no doubt missed many. I've been jailbroken for so long that I forget how limited non-Jailbroken phones are. People ask me what the advantages are and I really have to think about it 'cause I haven't run non-JB for so long now.

And it would be nice if they activated 720p video recording on the 3GS as the hardware is capable.

I don't do a lot of video or photos with the phone, but I guess since the hardware support is there it would be nice if it was turned on. If Apple doesn't then there is a reasonable chance that some smart jailbreaker will figure out how to make it work.

[GomiGirl]

I am pleased you didn't mention cracked apps - I would have to not like you anymore.

[alicia454]

On the hardware side, the most compiling reason for me to buy the iPhone4 is the high resolution display with 960x640 pixels. (Yes, my eyes are still able to see that detail, so it makes a big difference, since I won't need to zoom as much to read text.)

As an iPhone/iPad developer, it sucks that now I have to modify my apps to support 3 different resolutions {480x360, 960x480, & 1024x768}. At least there are betas for the SDK and iOS for the new 4 operating system. (Notice on Apple's iPhone Dev Center that you have to click to agree to the new developer licence to access the new SDK, which prohibits jailbraking!)

I really do wish that they put an XGA {1024x768} display on the iPhone, even if it made the phone physically bigger, since it would allow it to run iPad apps. I hope that they do this with the next generation iPodTouch that should be released in a few months, and that they call it the iPadMini.

[Coligny]

I am pleased you didn't mention cracked apps - I would have to not like you anymore.

So you must hate yerself now....

ain t that sort of a catch 22 young lady ?

[FG Lurker]

I am pleased you didn't mention cracked apps - I would have to not like you anymore.

I can get cracked apps!? Damn, gonna have to check that out! (I kid, I kid!)

More seriously though, one of the nice things about the "Rock Store" (JB app store) is that they offer a 10 day trial. I've bought a number of apps there and always appreciated being able to try things out before paying. The cynic in me says Apple doesn't do likewise because such a high percentage of App Store apps are crap that no one would pay for if they could try them out for a week first...

[GomiGirl]

iPhone 4. Why it will be familiar to people living in Japan.



Spotted via Twitter from:
http://twitpic.com/1uzv8l

Has been Retweeted a few times so hard to know where original came from. Apologies - I did try to give the due credit.

[Taro Toporific]

iPhone 4. Why it will be familiar to people living in Japan.

[SIZE="3"]TANUKI TESTICLES...[/SIZE]
[INDENT]...because your iPhone needs to grow a pair.[/INDENT]

http://phoneballs.com

[Coligny]

I can get cracked apps!? Damn, gonna have to check that out! (I kid, I kid!)

More seriously though, one of the nice things about the "Rock Store" (JB app store) is that they offer a 10 day trial. I've bought a number of apps there and always appreciated being able to try things out before paying. The cynic in me says Apple doesn't do likewise because such a high percentage of App Store apps are crap that no one would pay for if they could try them out for a week first...

Yup it's incredible to see the sordid ecosystem brought to life by the appstore... it's like a cesspool of scammer trying anything to make a few buck... shareware labelled as free, shovelware... adware reaching the point of nausea... software usually free and good that are for sale and... bad to say the least... (VNC clients, i'm looking at you right now). The only thing the apstore is good at is giving the impression of software abundance... while it's around 95% crap...

[FG Lurker]

Yup it's incredible to see the sordid ecosystem brought to life by the appstore... it's like a cesspool of scammer trying anything to make a few buck... shareware labelled as free, shovelware... adware reaching the point of nausea... software usually free and good that are for sale and... bad to say the least... (VNC clients, i'm looking at you right now). The only thing the apstore is good at is giving the impression of software abundance... while it's around 95% crap...

Agreed 100%.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Coligny again."

[American Oyaji]

Yup it's incredible to see the sordid ecosystem brought to life by the appstore... it's like a cesspool of scammer trying anything to make a few buck... shareware labelled as free, shovelware... adware reaching the point of nausea... software usually free and good that are for sale and... bad to say the least... (VNC clients, i'm looking at you right now). The only thing the apstore is good at is giving the impression of software abundance... while it's around 95% crap...

While I agree with your sentiment, you percentage is off. Try 99%

(Yeah, the Apple fanman said it.)

[alicia454]

I am pleased you didn't mention cracked apps - I would have to not like you anymore.

ComiGirl, don't worry too much about app piracy. Just make your apps self-aware. Typically all iPhone cracked apps modify the "Info.plist" file in their application bundles. Just use the following ObjC code to obtain the full file path of your Info.plist file in its sandbox:

NSString *NSinfoPath = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat: @"%@/Info.plist", [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath]]];

Then open, read, hash the Info.plist file, and then compare that hash against the stored hash in your program. You can also look for the presence of the "SignerIdentity" key the Info.plist file which the crackers typically add:

if ([[[NSBundle mainBundle] infoDictionary] objectForKey: @"SignerIdentity"] != nil) { ... doNag .. }

If any modification is detected, then provide numerous "nag" popups telling the user that they are running a pirated copy and asking them to buy the legitimate version from the iTunes store.

There are also ways for your app to easily detect if it is running on a Jailbroken device, but I would discourage that, since there are countless legitimate reasons for Jailbreaking, and a majority of jailbroken users don't have any pirated apps.

[GomiGirl]

There are plenty of non-crap apps too though. It is hard to get a new good app noticed with all the noise out there. But apps that have a good reputation and mindshare still seem to do well as most people are using the search function to find apps now rather than just buying what is on the new release lists.

[GomiGirl]

ComiGirl, don't worry too much about app piracy. Just make your apps self-aware. Typically all iPhone cracked apps modify the "Info.plist" file in their application bundles.

We use a slightly different system involving a poison pill that is activated at a future date.

I can give you our routine if you like - I don't want to discuss this in the open. Drop me a PM.

[FG Lurker]

There are plenty of non-crap apps too though. It is hard to get a new good app noticed with all the noise out there.

The raw number of apps in the app store mean there are certainly good ones too. However the percentages are horrible, and this sucks for both users and developers. The only one who benefits is Apple as they can tout the raw number of apps. It's not hard to see why they don't do anything about this...

But apps that have a good reputation and mindshare still seem to do well as most people are using the search function to find apps now rather than just buying what is on the new release lists.

I look for independent reviews before buying. If an app hasn't generated enough interest to get reviewed on a couple of the many, many app review sites then it almost certainly isn't worth buying.

The whole talk of poison pills and app checks does make me chuckle though. Developers never learn. If Microsoft and Adobe can't stop software piracy then I don't think I'd spend any time on it myself.

[GomiGirl]

I look for independent reviews before buying. If an app hasn't generated enough interest to get reviewed on a couple of the many, many app review sites then it almost certainly isn't worth buying.

Many of the review sites are not independent. They are paid reviews similar to "editorials" in the press. Advertising revenue has changed hands in all of these cases.

But some of the better review sites are more balanced, however, again due to the sheer volume of apps, it is hard to get on the radar.

Lots of app marketing scammers out there promising visibility for a fee. But just keeping on friendly terms with well respected bloggers works wonders.

The whole talk of poison pills and app checks does make me chuckle though. Developers never learn. If Microsoft and Adobe can't stop software piracy then I don't think I'd spend any time on it myself.

It will never stop the hard core pirates of course - just slow them down a bit. Or at least give the newbies something to think about. The poison pill is mainly to slow down the leechers of pirated software as the crackers are morally bankrupt recalitrants who are beyond any redemption.

[FG Lurker]

Apple could fix many problems by just allowing trials and allowing developers to opt in or out of the trial system.

Apps that already have a name/reputation could opt-out and up-and-comers could opt-in for the extra exposure. Crapplications would stay out and people would quickly learn that if an app has no trial and isn't already well thought of that it should be avoided.

I understand the frustration with cracked apps and piracy. It will never go away though, and the harder developers try to stop it the harder the crackers will work. Most of 'em are kids with a ton of free time and who love nothing more than a challenge. The bigger the challenge the harder they work. The only way around it is to stop making apps and move to a SaaS model. Google understands this. Microsoft is learning. Apple has a long way to go.

[McTojo]

I understand the frustration with cracked apps and piracy. It will never go away though, and the harder developers try to stop it the harder the crackers will work.

lololol.....I'm still laughing.

[Coligny]

ComiGirl, don't worry too much about app piracy. Just make your apps self-aware. Typically all iPhone cracked apps modify the "Info.plist" file in their application bundles. Just use the following ObjC code to obtain the full file path of your Info.plist file in its sandbox:

Then open, read, hash the Info.plist file, and then compare that hash against the stored hash in your program. You can also look for the presence of the "SignerIdentity" key the Info.plist file which the crackers typically add:

If any modification is detected, then provide numerous "nag" popups telling the user that they are running a pirated copy and asking them to buy the legitimate version from the iTunes store.

There are also ways for your app to easily detect if it is running on a Jailbroken device, but I would discourage that, since there are countless legitimate reasons for Jailbreaking, and a majority of jailbroken users don't have any pirated apps.

I don't know if i should feel exited, scared or just dumb...

AO:95-99... whatever, I'm french... I don't do math... (remember, we Ishihara said we count in base 20 or something...)

[FG Lurker]

lololol.....I'm still laughing.

McTool, ya lost me.

[GomiGirl]

McTool, ya lost me.

Me too - I think he was laughing at a joke in his head that has nothing to do with the topic of discussion.

[Bucky]

Classic:

[yt]Z6jkDikBSmg[/yt]