This is a rolling news page which shows all stories run over the last 7 days...one year ago. It's a great way to find reviews, software releases, or the elusive hack that you might otherwise have missed. Keep an eye on this page to catch all the "should not be forgot" items as they rotate through.

iPhone Root Password Cracked
posted Monday, July 02, 2007 - 05:23 PM EDT

A recent hackint0sh.org forum post reveals that more iPhone hacking has been underway: We managed to obtain and crack the hashs of the user passwords for the iPhone OS. More information could be found at our development Wiki here (link removed). Edit: cause you digg people broke the poor wiki: The password for root is "alpine" The "mobile" user accounts password is "dottie" Is it sick to have root pasword to all iPhones worldwide? Well not really, there is no terminal yet to login :P (7463 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Apple's iPhone Battery Replacement Program
posted Monday, July 02, 2007 - 02:34 PM EDT

As can now be seen in the Support area of Apple's iPhone website, the company has posted details regarding their iPhone Out-of-warranty Battery Replacement Program. If your iPhone requires service only because the battery's ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will repair your iPhone for a service fee of $79, plus $6.95 shipping. Be sure to follow these instructions for optimizing battery life and troubleshooting battery charging issues before submitting your iPhone for battery replacement. Related links: Apple's iPod Battery Replacement Program iPod's Dirty Secret Creators Speak iPod's Dirty Secret: A Response iPod's Dirty Secret (1406 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iPhone Powered By ARM CPU - Among Fastest In Handhelds
posted Monday, July 02, 2007 - 08:08 AM EDT

Analysis of the recently leaked iPhone firmware has revealed a number of things regarding the inner workings of the iPhone. Among them is an indication that the processing power behind the iPhone is a 620MHz ARM-based core, as we had earlier suspected. Specifically, it seems that the embedded processor may be a Samsung S3C6400, which contains an ARM1176JZF core. ARM processors are found in a great many modern, embedded applications including handheld computers such as the PocketPC. ARM is known to many on the other side of the pond as providing the power for several of the excellent Acorn workstations, popular in the late 80's, early 90's. A very general breakdown of processor features: ARM1176JZF chip with TrustZone (enables trusted computing environment) Up to 700MHz or more, depending on implementation ARM Intelligent Energy Manager (claimed to reduce power consumption 25-50% in portables) 16K instr / 16K data cache Vector floating point coprocessor - "powerful acceleration for embedded 3D-graphics" ARM Jazelle enabled for embedded Java execution SIMD, high perf integer CPU (8-stage pipeline, 675 Dhrystone, 2.1 MIPS) 0.45 mW/MHz power draw (with cache) Readers may be unaware that Apple's previous handheld offerings, the famed Newton MessagePad series, were all ARM-based as well. (9856 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iPhone Firmware Hits The Net
posted Sunday, July 01, 2007 - 08:45 PM EDT

Mere hours pass since the Lord of All Phone's rollout and already the iPhone's System Restore Image has hit the internet. Analysis has begun but full works of hacking goodness may be a ways out. Encryption a-plenty, there is. This should be interesting to track. (1906 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Sample iPhone Camera Photo Gallery
posted Sunday, July 01, 2007 - 10:43 AM EDT

On Saturday I had the opportunity to take a relaxing trip to the zoo with my family, a welcome outing after the craziness of 12 hours in line on iPhone launch day. It seemed a great time to check out the iPhone's abilities as a digital camera. Its first helpful task of the day, however, was getting me my morning coffee...by mapping for me, in a matter of seconds, a route to the Starbucks closest to the zoo (in an area of DC I'm unfamiliar with). I setup a small gallery of shots taken with the iPhone on that outing. Have a look. (5115 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

A Look Inside The iPhone: Disassembly
posted Sunday, July 01, 2007 - 07:40 AM EDT

It seems only minutes passed between Apple Store doors swinging wide at 6pm and the appearance on the web of the first iPhone deconstruction photos, giving new meaning to the notion of tearing into your new iPhone. Take a look inside: iPhone Disassembly - iFixIt.com iPhone Take-apart - ThinkSecret iPhone Disassembly Guide - PowerbookMedic.com Video disassembly - YouTube hosted (10884 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

The iPhone Has Landed
posted Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 10:02 AM EDT

Well, what can we say. The media frenzy that took place at various Apple Store locations all day yesterday, the iPhone's launch day, really does confirm that the iPhone has been the most heavily anticipated consumer electronics product launch in history. Having personally spent 12 hours in line at a DC-area Apple Store, I can tell you it was indeed an experience to remember, and not just for those anxiously watching the hours tick by on the road to iPhone ownership. Pedestrian onlookers - bystanders were flocked in great numbers, excitedly watching the event from the sidelines. The whole day truly was a spectacle to behold. So now the iPhone is with us. Will this slender little Swiss Army Communicator mark the beginning of a new era of mobile connectivity. Is the iPhone today what the original Macintosh was back in 1984? Is this Revolution. One thing's for certain. It's going to be quite a ride. (989 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iTunes 7.3 Released
posted Friday, June 29, 2007 - 12:56 PM EDT

Apple has released iTunes 7.3 on their website. This upgrade is required for iPhone support. Among various improvements, this latest version improves AppleTV functionality, allowing photo-streaming to AppleTV from more than one computer. (2520 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

It's iPhone Day! Countdown To iPhone Photos
posted Friday, June 29, 2007 - 06:01 AM EDT

It's iPhone Day people. Just hours to launch.... Have a look at our on-the-scene photo gallery of the iPhone wait at the Clarendon, VA Apple Store. It is being updated throughout the day. Newer images will appear at the end of the gallery. At least it's cool out, but rain threatens.... UPDATED: Above, the media is crawling all over this place. I'll see you in line! (1456 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Lines Already Forming At AT&T Stores
posted Thursday, June 28, 2007 - 09:02 PM EDT

An email from my cousin-in-law just now: I just got back from an AT&T Store drive-by. No line yet. However, at another AT&T Store across town, there are already between 5-10 people lined up, according to the manager of my local AT&T Store. I'm planning a midnight drive-by, and then another at 8:00am tomorrow. Probably one per hour after that, as necessary. This is in the Miami area, Florida. The Lord of All Phones is only 21 hours away, people. (923 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iPhones Arriving In Retail Stores
posted Thursday, June 28, 2007 - 05:08 PM EDT

A MacRumors forum user started a discussion thread including a photo of a new, unpacked iPhone. We're down to 25 hours, people! See the thread here. (925 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Apple Stores Allowing Two iPhones Per Person Sales
posted Thursday, June 28, 2007 - 03:46 PM EDT

Apple has issued another iPhone press release concerning the whens and wheres of the iPhone launch, along with some surprising information. Apple's revolutionary iPhone will go on sale this Friday, June 29 at 6:00 p.m. local time at Apple retail stores nationwide. All 164 Apple retail stores in the US will stay open until midnight, and customers can purchase up to two iPhones on a first come, first served basis. Beginning Saturday morning, iPhone customers can learn how to get the most out of the iPhone with free, in-depth workshops offered throughout the day at all Apple retail stores. Every Apple retail store will offer support for iPhone at the Genius Bar and personal training through Apple's new One to One program. Two iPhones per person! As you may recall, AT&T sent an email yesterday indicating that it will be instituting a one-iPhone-per-person purchase restriction during tomorrow's launch. This indication by Apple reinforces our belief that the Apple Stores will be receiving very large shipments of the iPhones tomorrow afternoon for the 6pm launch. Find your nearest Apple Store at Apple's Retail page. (883 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Pogue Answers Frequently Asked iPhone Questions
posted Thursday, June 28, 2007 - 02:23 PM EDT

David Pogue has posted an article entitled Often-Asked iPhone Questions in which he answers those very things. Some of the more noteworthy points: iPhone cannot bridge a laptop to the EDGE data network iPhone has no TV output iPhone has no "disk mode" iPhone's keyboard only goes landscape while in Safari iPhone's speakerphone and vibrate are wanting Voice dialing is not supported, nor are voice memos Pogue points out that this is day 0 (well, day -1) for the iPhone and Apple has indicated that enhancements will come in the form of software updates. It is quite possible that many issues people may voice regarding the iPhone will be ironed out shortly. Here's one for you, Pogue: Does the iPhone utilize OS X's LCD-oriented subpixel anti-aliasing? (We're guessing it does.) (1527 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iPhone Launch Day 4:1 Ratio 8GB To 4GB, One Per Person
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 11:42 PM EDT

MacRumors reports that they have heard that certain above-average size Apple Stores may be receiving 1000 iPhones or more for launch day stock. What's more, word is that the ratio of 8GB ($599) to 4GB ($499) units will be approximately 4:1. AT&T sent emails to customers today indicating that iPhone sales at their stores will be restricted to "one per person." With iPhone arriving June 29th at 6 p.m. in AT&T retail stores, the wait is almost over. Use our online store locator to find the closest AT&T store that sells Apple iPhone (limit one per person). We'll show you maps, directions, and everything you need to get your hands on an iPhone as quickly as possible. It is rather likely that this rule will also apply to sales at Apple Stores across the country. (1174 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Apple iPhone Q&A Page, VPN Support, Specs, Accessories
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 05:07 PM EDT

Apple has put up an iPhone Question and Answers page that provides further details about the One Smartphone to Rule Them All that launches 49 hours from now. The page reveals, among other things, that VPN support will indeed be found in the iPhone, as had been rumored previously - a great win for business users looking to access protected office networks with the iPhone. For secure Internet access, iPhone supports industry-standard Wi-Fi security and virtual private networking (VPN). Apple's Q&A page also depicts several accessories that will be available for the unit, including the bluetooth headset and a larger dock that accepts both the iPhone and the headset for charging. And as MacRumors reports, the iPhone's Specs Page has been updated to reveal more detail about the iPhone bundle and supported media formats. Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats In the box: iPhone Stereo Headset Dock Dock Connector to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation Cleaning/polishing cloth (1844 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Custom iPhone Ringtones Coming In iTunes 7.3?
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 04:16 PM EDT

MacRumors has received word that the as-yet-unreleased iTunes 7.3 will include custom ringtone support for the iPhone. iTunes 7.3 is listed as a requirement for the iPhone but has not yet been released by Apple. Reportedly, the new version of iTunes will allow you to convert any song that is available on iTunes into a ringtone with the "Make into Ringtone" feature. The cost for this service is $.99, however. It's not clear based on information available whether or not CD-ripped songs can also be easily converted or this is specifically an iTunes Store feature. Apparently a 30 second clip of songs in iTunes can be converted to a ringtone by way of a "GarageBand like" interface (presumably allowing one to slide-select which 30-seconds of audio to pull from the song's full waveform). A Ringtone tab was shown in iTunes during the iPhone's unveiling at the Macworld Expo 2007 keynote, as shown above. (16743 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Alleged Details Of Apple's Plans For Handling iPhone Launch
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 02:32 PM EDT

A ModMyiPhone forum user has posted details regarding Apple's plans for handling the iPhone launch allegedly conveyed by the concierge of a mall somewhere in the U.S. containing an Apple Store. According to this source: There will be numbered wristbands distributed for the iPhone There will be 3 colors of wristbands and they will be numbered 1-500 24 hour security will be in place starting Thursday Stanchions will be outside at 6pm Thursday There will be a restroom(s) brought in for access to the outside entrance where the line will be The line will form at the entrance of the mall closest to the outside of the Apple store Wristbands will be distributed in the line at 5pm on Friday The first 50 customers will be let into the Apple Store at 5:50pm and then more groups of 50 following that until the store closes that night We will update if we are able to determine from which location this report originated or if any further details surface. Earlier reports indicated that camping out or even early line formation would be prohibited, so no one's really sure just how things will play out. (1634 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

AT&T iPhone FAQ, Apple iPhone Keyboard Video
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 01:16 PM EDT

AT&T has posted an iPhone FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page covering general issues, activation issues, existing customer questions, billing issues, and return policy. In addition, Apple has just posted an iPhone keyboard video that walks users through the experience of using the iPhone's on-screen touch keyboard. This informative video provides the first clear demonstration you've likely encountered of just how the iPhone's intelligent, predictive typing assistant works and may show you a few things you hadn't heard of at all, such as the text-field magnifying glass used for cursor placement (pictured below). Have a look and kudos to Apple for keeping these solid, instructionals coming. (1153 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

iPhone Reviews Hit The Web
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 11:27 AM EDT

With the iPhone's release now a mere 55 hours away, the first full, official iPhone reviews are starting to appear on the web. The first out the gate was by The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg (a refreshing force of solid reason in the IT media) and Katherine Boehret who spent two weeks testing the iPhone across a variety of usage scenarios. (The article includes a link to Walt's additional video review of the unit.) Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions. The Apple phone combines intelligent voice calling, and a full-blown iPod, with a beautiful new interface for music and video playback. It offers the best Web browser we have seen on a smart phone, and robust email software. And it synchronizes easily and well with both Windows and Macintosh computers using Apple's iTunes software. It has the largest and highest-resolution screen of any smart phone we've seen, and the most internal memory by far. Yet it is one of the thinnest smart phones available and offers impressive battery life, better than its key competitors claim. Other reviews have followed from notable figures in IT media. Links and choice quotes from several follow. The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype by David Pogue "much of the hype and some of the criticisms are justified. The iPhone is revolutionary; it's flawed. It's substance; it's style. It does things no phone has ever done before; it lacks features found even on the most basic phones." "so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese." "the glass gets smudgy -- a sleeve wipes it clean" "it doesn't scratch easily. I've walked around with an iPhone in my pocket for two weeks, naked and unprotected...and there's not a mark on it." "when you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot, going online is fast and satisfying but otherwise, you have to use AT&T's ancient EDGE cellular network, which is excruciatingly slow" At Last, the iPhone by Steven Levy "one of the most hyped consumer products ever comes pretty close to justifying the bombast" "the phone that finally fulfills the promise of people-friendly palm-top communication and computing" "web-browsing is where the iPhone leaves competitors in the dust...pages you wouldn't dare go to on other phones are suddenly accessible" "during my travels and airport delays, I was able to [long list omitted]...doing all those things on that five-ounce device was fun, in the same way that switching from an old command-line interface to the Macintosh graphical user interface in the mid-1980s was a kick" "I've been jamming it in my pocket with keyrings, coins and pens, and so far it's nearly as good as new" "the EDGE network actually has two speeds, and when you're on the slower one, Web pages load up with what feels like dial-up speed" Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype by Edward Baig "with a few exceptions, this expensive, glitzy wunderkind is indeed worth lusting after" "Apple has delivered a prodigy -- a slender fashion phone, a slick iPod and an Internet experience unlike any before it on a mobile handset" "I expected to miss the tactile feel that a physical keyboard provides. I didn't" "you can hold a conference call with up to five people" "iPhone is a 'quad-band GSM' phone, meaning you can operate it overseas" "games sold in the iTunes store for the iPod are not compatible" "even at its best, Edge never felt close to the broadband-type speeds I experience on my home network" It's a lot to take in, but the general sentiment seems to be a clear indication that indeed the iPhone is a revolutionary, if not perfect, mobile communications device unlike any other on the market today. Apple's inevitable switch to the much faster 3G data network with future iPhone models would seem to bring the iPhone to within tickling distance of perfection in handheld mobile communications. (1374 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )

Awaken 3.1.4 Released
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 10:28 AM EDT

This one's to all the sleepyheads. Embraceware has released Awaken 3.1.4, the digital alarm clock that's feature rich and simple to use, for Mac OS X 10.3.9 or better and iTunes v6.0 or later. Awaken allows you to create alarms on a weekly basis at a set time, or at any specific date and time. You can also fall asleep to your favorite music using the newly introduced sleep timer. New in this release: Spanish localization. More precise alarm time entry. UI updates. Corrections for the French localization. Bug fixed with software update feature. (3444 reads) ( read more / comments? |   | )