“With Radura, we’ve achieved a really great balance of, simple, clear design and strong protection” says Ross Howe, Sales and Product Development Director for mStation/mophie. “Now, owners of all types of iPods and iPhones have a strong, sensible case that offers maximum protection, without sacrificing the unique aesthetics of Apple’s products”

The mophie Relo Radura is available now online and in stores at an MSRP of $20. For more information on mStation or mophie, please visit www.mstation.com or www.mophie.com

[Thanks Matt!]

Six months after the iPhone’s U.S. launch, has the device changed the mobile landscape? According to M:Metrics, the mobile media authority, the answer is yes. Today, the measurement firm reports that the iPhone is already the most popular device for accessing news and information on the mobile Web, with 85 percent of iPhone users accessing news and information in the month of January.

“The iPhone has certainly delivered on its hype,” said Mark Donovan, senior analyst, M:Metrics. “Beyond a doubt, this device is compelling consumers to interact with the mobile Web, delivering off-the-charts usage from everything to text messaging to mobile video.”

M:Metrics found that a staggering 30.9 percent of iPhone owners watched mobile TV or video, versus a 4.6 market average, and more than double the rate for all smartphone users. Usage of social networking is also popular among iPhone users: 49.7 percent accessed a social networking site in January, nearly twelve times the market average. Twenty percent of iPhone owners accessed Facebook, one of the first Web properties to customize its content for the iPhone, versus 1.5 percent of the total mobile market.“This data indicates that the iPhone’s widgets are and effective means to drive mobile content consumption,” observed Donovan. “Two featured widgets, YouTube and Google Maps are extremely popular among iPhone users: 30.4 percent accessed YouTube and 36 percent used Google Maps. In comparison, only one percent of all mobile subscribers accessed YouTube and 2.6 percent checked out Google Maps.”

M:Metrics is also the first to report use of the music playing capability of the iPhone, with 74.1 percent of iPhone owners listening to mobile music in January, compared to 6.7 percent of the total mobile audience. Eighty four percent of iPhone owners who use an MP3 player use an iPod.M:Metrics revealed the demographic composition of iPhone users, which are similar to the demographics of other smartphone owners. They are more likely to be: male, aged 25-34, earn more than $100,000 and have a college degree, than the average mobile subscriber.“While the demographics of iPhone users are very similar to all smartphone owners, the iPhone is outpacing other smartphones in driving mobile content consumption by a significant margin,” said Donovan. “In addition to the attributes of the device itself, another important factor to consider is the fact that all iPhones on AT&T are attached to an unlimited data plan. Our data shows that once the fear of surprise data charges is eliminated, mobile content consumption increases dramatically, regardless of device.”M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world’s most authoritative mobile media measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most accurate mobile market metrics through the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its January Benchmark Survey.

Gameloft said it will develop more than 15 game titles for Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone in 2008.

A New York-based mobile-gaming developer said it intends to develop mobile game titles built on Apple’s iPhone software-development kit released Thursday.

Applications developed for the iPhone will be distributed through Apple’s AppStore and loaded onto the iPhone through the company’s iTunes software.

Gameloft said it already has successfully developed games for Apple’s mobile products, including “Brain Challenge” and “Block Breaker Deluxe.”

[Via CNN]

But the single biggest issue we’ve found is in the 100 page iPhone Human Interface Guidelines. It’s a public document, but you must be a registered iPhone developer to see it. We’ve embedded it below via docstoc.

Users can only run one application at a time, and if they leave an application it quits. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it means that you can’t switch away from an application and have it continue to do things. That’s a big issue with the current support for websites on the iPhone – as soon as you leave the browser the connection is broken. With the iPhone, the hope was that an installed application could continue to run in the background and, most usefully, gather and send information from and to the web.

Only one iPhone application can run at a time, and third-party applications never run in the background. This means that when users switch to another application, answer the phone, or check their email, the application they were using quits. (p. 16)

[Via TechCrunch]

“By putting so much computing power into such an elegant mobile device, Apple has opened up tremendous opportunities for application developers”, said Kirk Loevner, Chairman and CEO of Epocrates, Inc. “The technology and software in the iPhone OS will allow us to create new and innovative applications that help improve patient safety and provide healthcare professionals with an unsurpassed user experience.”

How Epocrates is Working with Apple® to Develop Clinical Software for iPhone

Epocrates is one of a few companies who have been working directly with Apple to create an application that can be stored directly on the device. This will enable healthcare professionals to always have immediate access to vital clinical information wherever and whenever they need it, regardless of Internet connectivity. When a connection is established, the device will be automatically populated with updated drug and safety information and important medical news.

“Only one iPhone application can run at a time, and third-party applications never run in the background. This means that when users switch to another application, answer the phone, or check their email, the application they were using quits” Apple SDK documentation

“It’s important to make sure that users do not experience any negative effects because of this reality. In other words, users should not feel that leaving your iPhone application and returning to it later is any more difficult than switching among applications on a computer” Apple SDK documentation

Cue two arguing perspectives, already branded as Apple fanboys and WM sympathisers by their rival camps; the former see it as a sensible way to manage the iPhone experience, especially when your user base is likely to comprise a whole lot of people to whom task managers are unknown, and one which will encourage developers to think up clever save-and-resume routines to satisfy Apple’s “this must be invisible to the user” demand. The latter, however, view it as another example of Apple attempting to control the iPhone environment to the detriment of developers and, in the end, users; they’d rather see intelligent automatic task management (pointing to Symbian as having a similar, generally pretty effective system of automatically killing rogue or leftover processes when CPU cycles and memory are needed) and owners given a choice about whether they get multitasking or not.

Interestingly, TBG points out something that I didn’t know about the Symbian developer environment:

“It stands to reason that Apple will eventually provide a workaround; Symbian for example, grants developers rights to restricted attributes for additional fees” TBG

Several commentors have suggested that, as AOL have developed their iPhone AIM client with Apple’s blessing for instance, that software is more likely to be permitted background running than something from a normal, unconnected developer. There may be workarounds, but that hangs on how draconian Apple are with checking for them.

It looks as though Installer.app and Jailbreaking won’t be going anywhere soon, unless Apple adapts its policies. Seemingly, when Steve Jobs said third-party developers were going to get “the same applications” that Apple’s own coders use to create software for the iPhone and iPod Touch, what he didn’t mention was that their creations wouldn’t get the same freedom on the device itself.

[Via Apple kill third-party background processes on iPhone - PHONE Magazine]

iPhone SDK: Was it worth the wait?

“Worth the wait? Well, there’s a little longer to go yet – Software Update 2.0, which includes all this goodness, isn’t released until June. But on first impressions, and until we hear from actual developers as to how easy it really is to work with Apple, the answer seems to be yes.” — Chris Davies, PHONE Magazine

Every other tech company is dead in the water

“Seriously, folks, it’s game over. This announcement today is as big as the announcement of the original Macintosh in 1984. At airports all around the world they put flights on hold so that people could stay in the terminal and watch the news as it was announced. In Canada they declared a national day of mourning for RIM. It’s that huge.” — Fake Steve Jobs

Thanks for listening, for once

“Overall, this was one of the most “we get it” Apple announcements I can recall… Apple clearly understood how the iPhone has been used by those of use who are running the unapproved third party apps, and it has done its best to make the process work just the same with the official applications.” — Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Consumers first, businesses later

“Despite sitting out the first few years, Apple has arguably vaulted ahead of its competition in just 12 months. The other players in this industry came into smartphones building them for businesspeople and their IT masters. Then they tried to woo the consumer. Apple has done the complete opposite.” — Tom Krazit, CNet

We’re loving this Singapore metaphor

“Think of Apple as the Singapore of the technology world. It is impeccably clean, very functional, supportive of capitalism — and ruthless with miscreants… Now as you walk down the airplane aisle, you will not only see people watching and listening to their iPhones, you’ll see them wiggling and shaking them too. Just don’t wiggle anything Steve Jobs doesn’t approve of.” — Saul Hansell, The New York Times

But when will it go 3G?

“Another press event, another 3G iPhone no-show. Man, just think how nice it would be to have a brand spankin’ new HSDPA capable iPhone for downloading all those fancy new apps… Will that all change in June with the launch of the 2.0 firmware? That’s what the rumor mill says.” — Thomas Ricker, Engadget

Watch out Treo, Blackberry

“Is this big? Well, it will certainly help the iPhone win business customers, and it will mean that Blackberrys and Treos will have to get a whole lot better or they’re going to lose sales to Apple.”
— Kevin Maney, Tech Observer

It’s not perfect: no background IM or RSS-ing

“Only one third-party app can run at a time and it will quit when you answer a call or generally leave the app… This is a big suck.” — John Biggs, Crunchgear

It’s a short leash, but at least the consumer can go for a walk

“The plugin limitations means you aren’t going to see Mobile Firefox on the iPhone (or if you do it will have to be severely crippled) and there aren’t going to be any web service clients listening for and broadcasting updates. Still, the new iPhone SDK looks to be a win for users, if only because something, however limited, is better than nothing.” — Scott Gilbertson, Wired

Jobs’s hand was forced by Android

“I’ve been skeptical that Apple would do the right thing here. Last year, it didn’t treat third-party apps — created without Apple’s approval — very kindly when it issued an iPhone software update… it seems reasonable to guess that Google’s entry into the phone market helped prompt Jobs’ change of tune.” — Farhad Manjoo, Salon

[Via dvice]

You can find our previous coverage of the event here:

• iPhone gets native Exchange support
• iPhone SDK launched
• Apple store for iPhone apps
• Apple launch $100m developers fund
• Apple demo iPhone apps coded in just two weeks
• VoIP on iPhone: “WiFi yes, EDGE no” says Apple
• iPhone SDK: Was it worth the wait?
• Full gallery of event photos

Did you join us for the live-blog yesterday? Got any comments or suggestions, or requests for next time? Let us know in the comments.

[Via Apple release official iPhone SDK Roadmap announcement video - PHONE Magazine]

State of the art protection.

Belch Co. carbon fiber iPhone® cases provide you with an ultra light-weight package of designer styling and superb protection, all while allowing you full access to your iPhone’s features. Weighing in at only 8 grams this case has plenty of muscle using aerospace grade carbon fiber to protect your iPhone from the bumps and bruises of life.

Compatibility:

• 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB
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• (4.68” x 2.52” x 0.59”)
• Weight: 8 g / (0.29 oz.)

Apple Announces iPhone 2.0 Software Beta
Includes SDK & Built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

CUPERTINO, California—March 6, 2008—Apple® today previewed its iPhone™ 2.0 software, scheduled for release this June, and announced the immediate availability of a beta release of the software to selected developers and enterprise customers. The iPhone 2.0 beta release includes both the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) as well as new enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure, over-the-air push email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.“We’re excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community with potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone’s enterprise features combined with its revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface and advanced software architecture provide the best user experience and the most advanced software platform ever for a mobile device.”

The iPhone SDK provides developers with a rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools to create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod® touch. Starting today, anyone can download the beta iPhone SDK for free and run the iPhone Simulator on their Mac®. Apple today also introduced its new iPhone Developer Program, giving developers everything they need to create native applications, and the new App Store, a breakthrough way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to iPhone and iPod touch users.

With the iPhone SDK, third party developers will be able to build native applications for the iPhone with a rich set of APIs, including programming interfaces for Core OS, Core Services, Media and Cocoa Touch technologies. The iPhone SDK will allow developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch™ user interface, animation technology, large storage, built-in three-axis accelerometer and geographical location technology to deliver truly innovative mobile applications.

Apple has licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft and is building it right into the iPhone, so that iPhone will connect out-of-the-box to Microsoft Exchange Servers 2003 and 2007 for secure over-the-air push email, contacts, calendars and global address lists. Built-in Exchange ActiveSync support also enables security features such as remote wipe, password policies and auto-discovery. The iPhone 2.0 software supports Cisco IPsec VPN to ensure the highest level of IP-based encryption available for transmission of sensitive corporate data, as well as the ability to authenticate using digital certificates or password-based, multi-factor authentication. The addition of WPA2 Enterprise with 802.1x authentication enables enterprise customers to deploy iPhone and iPod touch with the latest standards for protection of Wi-Fi networks.

The iPhone 2.0 software provides a configuration utility that allows IT administrators to easily and quickly set up many iPhones, including password policies, VPN setting, installing certificates, email server settings and more. Once the configuration is defined it can be easily and securely delivered via web link or email to the user. To install, all the user has to do is authenticate with a user ID or password, download the configuration and tap install. Once installed, the user will have access to all their corporate IT services.

The iPhone 2.0 software release will contain the App Store, a new application that lets users browse, search, purchase and wirelessly download third party applications directly onto their iPhone or iPod touch. The App Store enables developers to reach every iPhone and iPod touch user. Developers set the price for their applications—including free—and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues. Users can download free applications at no charge to either the user or developer, or purchase priced applications with just one click. Enterprise customers will be able to create a secure, private page on the App Store accessible only by their employees. Apple will cover all credit card, web hosting, infrastructure and DRM costs associated with offering applications on the App Store. Third party iPhone and iPod touch applications must be approved by Apple and will be available exclusively through the App Store.

The iPhone SDK provides a reliable, fast and secure way to create innovative applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. In addition to the rich set of iPhone OS APIs, the iPhone SDK also provides advanced tools for creating native iPhone and iPod touch applications including: Xcode® for source code editing, project management and graphical debugging; Interface Builder with drag and drop interface creation and live preview; Instruments to monitor and optimize iPhone application performance in real time; and the iPhone Simulator to run and debug applications.

During the beta iPhone SDK program, a limited number of developers will be accepted into Apple’s new iPhone Developer Program and offered the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing. The Standard Program costs $99 (US) per year and gives members an iPhone SDK and development tools; access to pre-release iPhone software; technical support; the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing; and distribution of applications via the new App Store. The Enterprise Program costs $299 (US) per year.

In addition to these new iPhone network and security features, the beta iPhone 2.0 software provides several new Mail features such as the ability to view PowerPoint attachments, in addition to Word and Excel, as well as the ability to mass delete and move email messages.

Pricing & Availability
Apple plans to release the final iPhone 2.0 software, including the iPhone SDK and new enterprise features, as a free software update for all iPhone customers by the end of June. Third party applications created for the iPhone will also run on the iPod touch, and iPod touch users will be required to purchase a software update to run these applications. The free beta iPhone SDK is available immediately worldwide and can be downloaded at developer.apple.com/iphone/program. The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months. Apple is accepting applications beginning today from enterprise customers who would like to join the private iPhone Enterprise Beta Program (www.apple.com/iphone/enterprise).

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

I’ve only had my iPod Touch for a week or so (can you say late adopter?) and I can already imagine it as being one kick-ass gaming platform. While there aren’t exactly a lot of buttons to be found, I can still see massive potential for games of all different types. Apple really got things right with their whole iTunes distribution strategy. This was one of the things John Carmack noted when discussing id’s plans to develop games for the iPhone.

The ability to distribute larger applications than the over-the-air limits and effectively market your title with more than a dozen character deck name, combined with the reasonable income split make this look like a very interesting market.

[ViaJohn Carmack says id is looking to develop games for the iPhone - SlashGear]

Check out the full gallery of XPERIA X1 vs iPhone photos after the cut!

In terms of pure hardware and cellular connectivity, the X1 does rather outshine the iPhone. Sony Ericsson have packed an ARM-based Qualcomm chipset running at 520MHz into their handset; now while Apple chose a CPU capable of 667MHz, so far it’s throttled back to around 500MHz to save power. If they’re roughly equal on raw grunt, it’s high-speed data access where the XPERIA X1 shines: both have WiFI, but the Sony Ericsson’s HSDPA/HSUPA easily outguns the iPhone’s EDGE connection. The X1′s WVGA 800 x 480 display is physically smaller, at 3-inches, than the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen, but the Apple phone only manages 320 x 480 resolution.

Apple do beat the X1 on internal memory, though; out of the box the XPERIA only has 400MB, expanded via microSD card, whereas the iPhone is available in 8GB or 16GB sizes (though the memory cannot be added to via a memory card). GPS on the X1 is another point in Sony Ericsson’s favour, as is the hardware keyboard (although it does make the XPERIA 5mm thicker than the iPhone: 110 x 53 x 16.7mm for the X1, 115 x 61 x 11.6mm for the iPhone.

What will likely make the biggest difference is the software environment. Time – and sales – have shown that Apple’s intuitive and attractive mobile OS X is enough to persuade users to look beyond the shortcomings of EDGE; it’s a reputation for usability Windows Mobile would love to have. Sony Ericsson are obviously hoping that their XPERIA Panel Interface – a group of finger-friendly shortcut tiles and menus – will gloss over WM’s shortcomings, leaving us to revel in all those third-party apps (that don’t require handset hacking to install) and true push-email, but we’ll have to wait for Vincent’s hands-on video to see just how much they’ve achieved that.

[Via XPERIA X1 vs iPhone: spend now or save? - PHONE Magazine]

“The animation technology in the iPhone OS enables us to build awesome games. I think iPhone consumers are going to be blown away by the games we create for this platform.”

CEO da EA, John Riccitiello

Click over to watch the Super Monkey Ball video demo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFj0xlzmf6Q[/youtube]

“The animation technology in the iPhone OS enables us to build awesome games. I think iPhone consumers are going to be blown away by the games we create for this platform.”

CEO da EA, John Riccitiello

Click over to watch the Super Monkey Ball video demo.

CeBIT awards presenters chose the iPhone, due to being void of resounding defects, and for being “simply sensational”, while the Bluetooth headset exemplified simplicity and aesthetics, coupled with functionality.

Out of 2771 products shown at the conference, 821 of them were considered for the awards, according to SetteB.IT. Apple’s iPod nano, Classic, and Touch were among the winners, as well as the iPhone and Bluetooth headset. The standard USB and Bluetooth keyboards, and Apple’s aluminum iMac also won accolades.

[Via MacNN]