News for Monday, 21 July 2008

Following the keynote, many websites (including us) were a bit worrying about Steve Jobs' health, but we did not want to pursue after one source told us that he was fine. And this topic went down as the iPhone-mania was rocketing up. However, New York Post decided to launch again the story, quoting reports from analysts and Disney Executives, all worrying about Steve's health and his ability to continue his job... (or rather worrying if they should sell the shares they own in the dedicated companies?)
When it comes to such a personal point, you might ask why an EU-based website would then publish a news about private life of a US citizen? Well, because, despite not publishing rumors anymore on Apple, we still have contacts with our long time reliable sources at Cupertino, and as Steve and Apple decided not to release any more details, we have been informed that he is going well. He was indeed affected by an infection, treated with antibiotics. If the same disease would have brought most of us sick with a dehydration syndrome, it of course had a stronger impact on Steve due to his previous health problem. So, next time we see Steve at a keynote he should look much less "skinny"; and do not forget, the way you look does not imply you are sick or a genius; it might be both...

If there is current an n answerless question, it is: how long will the iPhone 3G shortages last? Indeed, depending on sources, the answer varies from next week to mid-august. According to the German news website Focus.de, quoting other internal Apple sources, shortage could last till mid-October!
It is difficult to offer a clear and defined answer as it remains unknown if availability is associated to shipment of small number of units, or large refilling of distributor’s stock...
The reason might not necessarily be in Apple’s hand as the iPhone 3G is based on many different components manufactured by many different companies. The price of some components might dramatically influence Apple’s margin, as the NAND flash memory for example, as placing a large ordering would then push its price up, and reduce margins. This could explain why Apple lacks stock of the high-end model. We would not be surprise to see the price of the 8 GB model to be decreased in a near future.
While waiting to the end of the iPhone 3G shortage, Apple successfully managed to create a huge buzz around the iPhone 3G: news websites were talking about it before its release, when it was released, and even when it is out of stock...

In June, we were reporting about a new TruePower battery from Fastmac and dedicated to MacBook Pro 15". Its nominal capacity was higher than the one offered by Apple, and its stability over time is indeed superior to the original one.
So after 60 cycles, and a complete recalibration, we obtained the following results:

Once fully charged, it almost reaches 6000 mAh, whereas from our own test the original one from Apple would have already substantially decreased its current battery charge.

According to the National Law Journal, one of five national, high-tech price-fixing cases pending in San Francisco district might well reveal important information for all users. NVidia and AMD/ATI have been accused in as many as 51 separate civil antitrust actions for alleging price-fixing in the market of graphics processing units (GPUs).
Among documents against AMD/ATI and NVidia, is an email from NVidia senior vice president of marketing, Dan Vivoli, to ATI's president and chief operating officer, Dave Orton:

"I really think we should work harder together on the marketing front. As you and I have talked about, even though we are competitors, we have the common goal of making our category a well positioned, respected playing field. $5 and $8 stocks are a result of no respect.

If this is maybe not enough for being considered as a proof, the judge decided he wanted to know more about this story. The class certification question might have significant impact if granted.

Hereafter is a report from Goulwen

Hereafter is a procedure to save money and use a device not commercially available yet.
I was lucky to get an iPhone 3G 16 GB last Thursday. As I could not find any dock for the iPhone 3G, I took my Dremel and decided to modify the dock shipping with the Bluetooth iPhone headset. Once polished, it looks like brand new and clean, and this is a substantial money saving. :)

To reduce the price of the iPhone, Apple has removed the peripheral and devices shipped with the first version of the mobile, as they did it in the past with the iPod. If you purchase the new Bluetooth iPhone headset, which is now cheaper, it does NOT contain the dock anymore. So the "bidouille" from Goulwen is most likely the best way to follow for most of us, to avoid buying an expensive piece of plastic.
For more photos on this trick, please visit Goulwen's dedicated site: http://web.mac.com/goulwen.pele/Handcrafted/Bidouille_de_Dock_pour_iphone.html

As expected, the Dev Team just released the version 2.0 of its tool kit to jailbreak and SIM-unlock the iPhone.
Hereafter is a summary of what can be achieved with this tool kit:
- Jailbreak + activation + SIM-unlocking of iPhone 1G + Firmware 1.x.x and 2.0
- Jailbreak + activation of iPhone 3G and iPod Touch with Firmware 2.0
Jailbreak allows you to use other applications than those available on the AppStore. The new version of Pwnage Tool includes Cydia, a new installation tool for third-party applications. SIM-unlocking is still not available for iPhone 3G, and one will have to wait a bit longer before being able to use the iPhone with any SIM card.
For additional information, please visit: The Dev Team blog.
The website iPhoneInfused.com claims to have successfully developed a SIM-unlocking solution, without bringing any proof, and it will cost you around 40 USD...

While waiting for the official AppStore RSS Ffed to be up and running, the website Pinch Media offer a specific RSS feed with all recently added applications, with a choice between fee-based and freeware, as well as update and top 100 ranking.
Another RSS feed is also available, it lists all applications with screen captures.