Official iCreate Blog > iPhone

A Gordon Ramsay-esque website has appeared on the web that vents the frustration of iPhone Developers who have been silenced by Apple’s famous NDA.

A Non-Disclosure-Agreeement is signed by every developer before they are allowed to make Applications for the iPhone (we journos sometimes have to sign them too, before products are launched). It prevents developers from sharing the way they code and build their applications.

This is typical procedure for Apple who believe that by stopping people from communicating about the inner workings of the iPhone it will prevent malicious hackers from gaining valuable knowledge about how to reach parts fo the iPhone OS X that could be exploited.

The downside of this is that developers have to do their work in virtual silence, unable to communicate with others who may be able to help them make their applications better.

As a result there have ben frequent twitter posts of ‘F**king NDA!’ in the iPhone community. There have been so many in fact, that a website with that same name has now appeared online to document the sheer volume of posts.

Its easy to understand both sides of the story in this situation. On the one hand nobody wants to dwnload an application that will brick their iPhone, and on the other hand it seems overly paranoid for Apple to forbid communication between developers because of just a few bad apples in the communty (no pun intended).

Apple have so far been louding the simplicity of the iPhone as a platform to develop for, but at the moment at least it, seems as if there may be a bit of a backlash heading their way. Lets hope some sort of middle ground can be reached so that our apps can get better without anyone ruining it for the rest of the development community.

I had a few days off recently and went to Cornwall where it rained solidly for two days. Apart from the bad weather I was without a signal on my iPhone for pretty much the entire time. With any other phone this kind of impediment would have just meant the inability to recieve and make phone calls, something which, on holiday, would have been a blessing. But, on this occassion it also meant that I had no way of getting online to do all those things I’d taken for granted before.

One of the big things I missed was downloading and trying out free apps on the iPhone. Its gotten to the stage where its becoming an addiction. If I were wealthier I would no doubt be downloading everything, but as it is, I’m fine downloading the free Apps.

So, as I was saying I was without the ability to get more apps on my phone and it served the purpose of highlighting to me how quickly I had become bored of some of the other apps. Admittedly they are mostly free ones but with the promise of newer, better free apps out there I have to say that I have become rather spoiled.

A few weeks ago I’d have killed for a single app on my iPhone and now, with hundreds to choose from I’m like a little brat, always after more, more, more. I need to take stock and think about how lucky I am to even have the ones I’ve got.

The iPhone is an amazing bit of technology and I should probably treat it with more respect, that said it’s just stopped syncing, a quick look at the App Store wont hurt…

There is a great comic on theJoyoftech.com that I’ve put down here that sums up what a lot of iPhone owners must be going through…

Well this is exciting. I’m currently blogging from Wordpress’ iPhone app. The typing is a bit tougher than when I’m at my Mac so I’ll keep this brief but, just so you all know, I can now blog from anywhere. Beware!

If only this were possible…

I’d always plug in and sync before I went to the pub.

If you are planning on heading out and getting a new iPhone tomorrow here are a few pointers:

Numbers may be limited.

At both the Carphone Warehouse and O2 stores employees are not sure of the delivery numbers expected later today ready for tomorrows launch. If you are desperate for a phone, get there early.

Opening Times may vary.

Apparently some stores will be opening at 7:02 and others an hour later, so its best to check in with your local store.

Take ID

The exact requirements for what types of ID to bring to the stores seems to vary so its probably better to be safe rather than sorry. Take your Chip and Pin bank card, a household Bill and your O2 account details if you plan to upgrade.

If you have any other tidbits of advice about your local stores and availability let us know in the comments…

As you should know by now, when MobileMe is launched in July, all existing .Mac subscribers will have both an @Mac and an @Me email address.

It struck me during the announcement just how many entertaining email addresses could arise from the @Me.com suffix.

So, being me, I bought an additional .Mac email only account and tried my luck.

For those remotely interested, most of these usernames are currently unavailable:

Hollaback

Stoplooking

Yell

Shoutback

Smile

Wave

Rightback

Youlookin’

Chuckanemail

Dontworryab

Throwsomething

P

Feel free to post your own ideas in the comments for this post or on our forum www.icreatemagazine.com/forum

There has been a veritable explosion of iPhone rumours this afternoon as WWDC approaches. Both Engadget and Mac Rumors have new posts with new details. There have been claims from eastern manufacturers saying that there will be a smaller iPhone with a 2.8inch screen as well as the possibility of a tablet like device that will have a 7inch screen.

Without wanting to be massively smug, iCreate did predict an iPhone family of products in the last issue of the magazine and this latest batch of rumours seems only to be confirming our prediction.

Of course we’ll all have to wait until Monday to find out whats really been going on at Cupertino.

It really can’t get here fast enough.

www.macrumors.com

www.engadget.com

…

Everybody knew that, when the iPhone launched with its revolutionary touch screen interface, there would be pretenders to its throne pretty soon. 
LG & Samsung lead the pack at present with their respective takes on digit-driven mobiles but, as we all know, they’re still simply mobile phones with advanced control features. Apple has time on its side as other manufacturers race to better the iPhone but will surely be confounded when the much rumoured iPhone 2 makes its appearance this year. Back to the drawing board for the competitors. I worry, however, that consumers still don’t “get” the iPhone in the UK. They don’t quite know what it offers (even with the constant ads on television) and they certainly don’t appreciate paying for a phone up-front before signing a contract and thus forgoing a subsidy on the handset as is the custom here.
Sales figures have, apparently, been pretty sub-standard for the iPhone in the UK. No specifics have been provided but some very vague statements from O2 suggest they’re not as happy with the five-year iPhone deal they’ve signed up to, as they were pre-launch.In light of this I’m intrigued to see a new wave of ads in O2 store windows and on TV for the LGKF700. This is by no means an iPhone killer but, in the eyes of the consumer it could be a tempting option over here. 
Exclusive to O2 (as we remember from the iPhone ads) the LG phone offers touch screen AND a keypad, a three megapixel camera and, most importantly, web browsing with 3.5G technology. 
Still, not as good as the iPhone but to the man on the street it’s certainly an option. Depending on your contract you can get the phone free or for an up-front payment of up to £159.99 a clear £100 cheaper than the least expensive iPhone.
We’re definitely getting into mobile web technology here and the iPod is still going strong but, consumers want the best deal and what they perceive to be the best device. The core advertising its “3MP”, “Touchscreen”, :”3G” and “full web browsing” are likely enough to sway a consumer in favour of the LG device over an iPhone. 
Perhaps O2 is toning things down while we wait for the new iPhone models but it does seem like its promoting “banker” models of phone over Apple’s device, likely even further denting iPhone sales. 

www.beet.tvWall Street Journal columnist and iCreate favourite Walt Mossberg has openly stated that Apple’s iPhone will be 3G in 60 days.In a matter of fact yet casual comment during the Beet.tv executive summit in Washington, Mossberg stated: “Broadband on these cellphone networks is limited and I’m not talking about the fact that iPhone isn’t 3G, it will be 3G in sixty days.”Now we all know Walt and Steve Jobs are good pals, making this quite a worthy claim, especially considering Mossberg is one of the few journalists to receive Apple’s products before they are launched. (Steve, if you’re reading, can you put me on this list too?).Referring to the Apple CEO while discussing streaming media options at the same conference, Mossberg said:”Believe me, I know this guy. If Steve Jobs thinks that a streaming service would be the right way to go and sell him a bunch of iPod and Macs, he’ll turn it on tomorrow. It’s not a religion.”Good friends with the CEO. Exclusive clearance to test new kit. We think this is a particularly meaty rumour that may well turn out to be true.www.ipodobserver.com To further add fuel to the iPhone 3G fire, T-Mobile in Germany has begun offering discounted 8GB iPhones for those who sign up to 2 year contracts. With rumours pointing to poor German iPhone sales this could be a one off but… with new “Black iPhone” whispers circulating, could be we see consumer and pro offerings in the future?If so this could be how things pan out:Pro iPhone (2nd Gen) 3G compatible, 16GB & 32GB - Full price, no discounts. Available in blackIntermediate iPhone (1st Gen) 8GB & 16GB - Standard pricing or discount for 2 year contract. Available in silver.ConsumeriPhone nano (iPhone Air?) - Stripped down, 4GB - fully subsidised with contract. Available in multiple colours.We know how Steve Jobs likes his products to sit in the market (see MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro etc) and we also know how much he values the iPhone, hence no subsidy with contracts. Could this be the compromise?

EDIT: Appleinsider.com is reporting on aesthetic tweaks to the MacBook line as part of Apple’s ongoing “green” effort. Plastic casing is said to make way for aluminium enclosures which, once again, points to a brand conformity through the notebook line. The MacBook Pro is also due for a visual revision with design elements “borrowed” from the new iMacs. Black, aluminium and glass once again.

I thought I’d share a little iPhone tip that you may or may not find useful. 

If, like me, you listen to a lot of music on your iPhone you probably find yourself stopping, starting and skipping tracks using the button on the headphones. 

For those who don’t know, here are the facts:
One click: Pauses currently playing music. One click (when paused): Resumes music playback. Two clicks: Skips current track.

The annoyance I’ve found is the way in which the headphone button becomes unresponsive after the music has been paused for a little while and the iPhone heads back into regular standby mode. 

This often happens when I’ve been listening to music and use the headphone button to pause while I talk to someone.  Usually, by the time I’ve finished talking, the button doesn’t resume playback because the iPhone has gone into standby mode.

So, a cunning plan for those who carry their iPhone in their pocket. Find the home button on your device (either inside your pocket or through your chosen garment) and double click it. You will now find the button on the headphones will work again and you wont need to remove your phone from your pocket to start playing music again. 

Simple yet effective.