American Airlines has announced that it is planning to launch in-flight streaming of PPV movies to iPhone, iPad, and other devices. The movies will be streamed via Aircell in-flight broadband service.

A rumor has surfaced that Intel may be the company fabbing chips for future iPhone models. Apple currently uses Samsung fabbed chips and the legal battle between the two could be the reason for the change.

The WSJ reports that the iPhone 3GS with WiFi is set to go official in China next week on China Unicom. The move is also setting the carrier up to offer the iPhone 4 says the WSJ which will be a big deal for Apple.

Another Foxconn worker has died from injuries resulting from jumping from the roof of the factory. The worker landed in the new safety nets, but still died from injuries.

If you have been wishing and hoping for wireless sync for the iPhone, that wish is coming – eventually – according to Steve Jobs. In one of his famously terse replies to a geek who asked the question when/if will we get wireless sync, Jobs replied “Yep, someday.”

Apple has clarified the poor reception issue that some iPhone 4 users are complaining of. The solution according to Apple is to not hold the phone that way.

Om Malik wrote an insightful article on how iPhone is boosting demand for LBS services and took Boston-based Skyhook Wireless as a case study

The writer highlights:

• Last year, there were only a few dozen apps that incorporated location-based data. This year that number has grown to 2,000 apps.
• There are nearly 200 million geolocation queries on Skyhook’s system.
• Skyhook covers nearly 70 percent of Europe and the U.S. along with major Asian cities.
• With millions of iPhones likely to be sold in months to come, Skyhook is all set to be off-the-hook.

The current iPhone 3G uses the Broadcom BCM4325, which has an FM receiver.  However Apple have locked down its functionality; currently it will only receive short-range FM transmissions from the Nike+ exercise peripheral.  Of course, there’s no telling whether Apple will similarly lock down the FM capabilities of the iPhone 3.1; many third-party accessory manufacturers, who already offer a broad range of FM transmitters, will likely be hoping they do.

As for the WiFi n functionality, the newer Broadcom chip supports all manner of MIMO dual-antenna signal boosting and better reception.  There’s also a shared Bluetooth and WiFi receive signal path which should save power and space but not at the cost of signal strength.

[via 9to5 Mac]

What won’t be possible is VoIP over 3G.  According to Skype’s chief operating officer, Scott Durchslag, this is a limitation of Apple’s App Store terms of service.  Neither AT&T nor Apple answered a request for a comment on the Skype app.

iPod touch owners will also be able to download and use the software, though they’ll need to buy a microphone accessory since the PMP doesn’t have one integrated.  After iPhone OS 3.0 is released, however, 2nd-gen iPod touch users should be able to use the PMP’s newly-unlocked Bluetooth with hands-free headsets.

[via GigaOM]

Daniel P. Sama wrote:

While the iPhone’s built-in ability to scan for networks is fine, WiFiFoFum really shines through with the ability to distinguish signal strength using the RSSI channel. If your mobile device has GPS capabilities, access points can also be saved to KML logs which can be e-mailed or imported into Google Maps.

You can purchase it instantly for $2.99 from the App Store. Let us know if you had a chance to testing it out.

[via MacWorld]

“HP iPrint Photo is a free downloadable software application that allows you to quickly and easily print 4″ x 6″ photos. Images stored on your iPhone or iPod touch can print on most HP networked ink jet printers connected to a local WiFi network. Wireless printing is a fun extension of the iPhone / iPod touch’s easy photo capture and viewing experience.”

HP iPrint Photo uses Apple’s Bonjour technology to automatically identify HP wireless printers or other supported HP printers available on your network. HP iPrint supports industry standard WiFi environments (including Apple Airport, Linksys, D-Link and Netgear. To print using the technology via a computer, Apple iTunes must be installed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/3s7Tf_j9eGo[/youtube]

[via GearLog]

Today Truphone added the Truphone Anywhere functionality to their iPhone application, enabling users to make international calls for as little as £0.03/$0.06 per minute even when not connected to the internet. Truphone also added inbound calling on the iPhone for the first time.

Truphone currently works in 33 countries around the world to save iPhone users money on international calling when not on Wi-Fi. Unlike calling cards, there is very little to placing a call. Whenever an international number is dialed from outside a Wi-Fi area, Truphone Anywhere will ask if you would like to make a Truphone call and you accept or decline.

“No-one likes big mobile bills, and they don’t come any bigger than for international calls” said Geraldine Wilson, Truphone’s new CEO.  “But for iPhone users, that no longer needs to be the case.  They can choose either to pay standard international call rates, or to reduce them to as little as 3 pence or 6 cents per minute.  It’s as simple as that, no catches.”

Truphone has added a new presence feature to see which one of their other Truphone using contacts are online. Now for the first time users can place a free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone call. The new inbound call capability means that iPhone users can avoid inbound call charges – for example, when abroad – provided they are connected to a Wi-Fi network, enabling significant cost savings. Here is a list of benefits those who do not know the benefit of using Truphone for the iPhone:

• Truphone routes calls over the Internet whenever possible, saving loads of money both on international calls from a user’s home country and on calls when connected to Wi-Fi abroad

• Truphone routes calls over the Internet, so customers don’t need to worry about poor mobile reception.  Calls are crystal clear and voice quality is superb from almost any Wi-Fi zone

• No monthly line rental, subscription or other hidden charges.  Truphone customers only ever pay for the calls they make.  Additional credit is simply purchased online, or an account may be set to top up [refill] automatically when it falls to a certain level

• Truphone is free to download via the iPhone App Store and takes seconds to install.  New customers receive £1/$1 [UK/RoW] free calling credit to get them started

• With Truphone’s American Tru Saver bundle, calls within and to the USA and Canada can be as low as 0.75 pence/1.5 cents [UK/RoW] per minute

• Calls within and to 40 countries (including UK, Australia, Brazil and most of Europe) are £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute to landlines and £0.15/$0.30 [UK/RoW] per minute to mobiles

• Making a Truphone call couldn’t be simpler: open the Truphone application and dial as normal.  Truphone uses the iPhone’s own address book.

Not you can bypass the SMS-based connection process and connect in one simple step. If you act quickly and download this application tool by December 5th you will be lucky enough to get if for free. If you don’t get a chance by then it’s going to cost you $1.99, which is not too bad. After launching the application all you have to do is register for a free account on Devicescape’s servers and you’re ready to go.

This application will handle all types of connections you may face without ever bothering you, whether it be entering a username and password or clicking the “I accept” button to start browsing. Devicescape plans to have more operator-specific applications for the iPhone as well. Company head Dave Fraser said, “Part of our Easy Wi-Fi for handsets strategy is to really focus on these operator-locked clients, so this AT&T version is actually our first example of one of those, but there are about four others that have already been submitted to the App Store approval nightmare.”

[Via Arstechnica]

Needless to say this is a huge problem that in come cases make this update more harmful than helpful. A number of users are downgrading back to firmware 2.1 in order to resolve the issues. We ourselves have experienced a drop in signal strength. The most reports we have been getting is loss of Wi-Fi connectivity. Users are unable to get a Wi-Fi connection even without network encryption.

Here are some of the reports that users are making:

• “When I upgraded, all my apps non-original apps disappears, except for google! When I tried to re-download and then resync them onto my iphone, only some of them would appear. After talking to support, we tried starting my computer (she said this was happening to some people) and then syncing. This added a couple more, but about 10 were still sitting in my itunes and refusing to sync.”

• “After the os 2.2 update. Safari suddenly disappeared. Syncing etc didn’t work or resolve the issue. I had to do a restore to get things back to normal.”

• “After upgrading to 2.2 the iphone camera app disappeared, and every program that uses the camera stopped working also. Restoring the phone brought it back but then the next Sync made it go away again. Very annoying. How much QA did they do before they released this upgrade? I can understand third party apps breaking but not the base applications.”

• “I also have had a problem with a missing application. My camera application has disappeared and I tried restoring it, and it appeared for about five minutes, let me take one picture, then was suddenly gone again.”

[Via iPhoneAtlas]

With no physical remote control, sitting at the computer controlling the Rovio can sometimes be a pain. WowWee has done us a huge favor and made one of our favorite devices an optional controller for the Rovio! Now you can control your Rovio from your iPhone with an application called the Rovio Driver.

All it takes is a quick download and the input of a few settings and your ready to go. You get a much larger view to watch the camera than the standard application. Drive your Rovio using the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer. Rovio Driver even allows you to control the head position and rotation of Rovio. Pick up Rovio Driver in the App Store for free today.

[Via RoboCommunity]

At participating locating, Starbucks for example,  go into your settings menu and switch on Wi-Fi , then select the AT&T Wi-Fi network. When you open Safari you will see a “Get Connected Now” screen that prompts for your 10-digit mobile number. Just enter in your phone number and agree to the terms of service and your well on your way.

After just a moment another text message will appear giving you a personal link that will take you to a free Wi-Fi access screen. It is about time that AT&T gives iPhone users what they have been asking for. Now all we need is a teathering plan for the iPhone. The text message AT&T sends out has a line – “Free access is renewable every 24 hours. “ – that is not quite clear as to what exactly it means. Unlimited free access does not often need a renewal.

[Via SlashGear]

The ongoing flip flopping of the AT&T free WiFi continues. This is the second time the free WiFi has been pulled. AT&T is saying that the listing on their website showing the WiFi access was a human error. This is the 4th human error then apparently. When will the craziness end?

There is some serious iPhone shortages going around the last few days. There are no iPhones left in the U.K. or the online Apple store. The shortage is rumored to be Apple preparing for the 3G iPhone by clearing the shelves of the current stock.

Pictures of what is rumored to be the 3G iPhone surfaced on a phone forum based in China. In th photos, the device is glossy white, as opposed to the rumored glossy black. The device fits the description of the rumored dimensions. It is larger in the middle than at the sides, and the bottom is redesigned to fit the rumored dimensions.

The 5th beta of the iPhone SDK was released this week.  It was not immediately known what improvements there were, but we have a small list now. Some of the new features that were found include the option for push email. It is the smallest SDK yet, weighing in at only 1.08GB. There were some minor changes to certain libraries as well.

We round out the week in review with the news of the Installer application getting an update. The update brings application search to Installer. Although as of now the search function needs a little improvement, it is a good idea and is very useful.

“Our Wi-Fi network is a great way of differentiating the AT&T network and giving customers another reason to choose us over a competitor” Fletcher Cook, AT&T

However Cook would not confirm when the offer would be officially unveiled, and interviewer Saul Hansell of the NYT didn’t push him on why, if the first time was a mistake, it was then added again before being rapidly pulled.  The consensus at the time was that AT&T were having problems limiting access solely to the iPhone.  Many users discovered that they could, by changing their browser’s UserAgent string and entering an authentic iPhone number, get free WiFi without being iPhone owners.