Nokia is working on what some observers are calling an iPhone killer. Code-named “Tube”. The new touchscreen handset could debut by the end of the year.

The “Tube” looks a lot like the iPhone, but then any mobile phone (mobile device) with a full-body touchscreen and a minimal bezel looks like the iPhone.

The Nokia Tube will feature direct video uploading and support for Java, both things that the current iPhone does not offer.

Below is a short clip of how Nokia Tube looks like.

Nokia 5800 Tube specifications

• 3.2-inch touchscreen display with 16 Million colors
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
• Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE radio
  • 3G UMTS/HSDPA
• Bluetooth 2.0
• WiFi
• GPS
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• TV-out port
• 140MB on-board storage
• 111 x 52 x 14.5 mm
• 104g
• End of 2008 launch

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Japanese carrier NTT Communications Corp will be launching a service that provides users with certain fragrances intended to work the same way and bring about the same advantages as aromatherapy. A standalone device, that resembles a small pot, holds 16 scented cartridges that can mix basic fragrances to create 200 different aromas. The company, NTT Communications Corp, announced that the new service, Mobile Fragrance Communication, would ideally allow users to experience aromas exuding from their mobile phones, via a n aroma generator built inside.

Studies regarding the proposed idea will be carried out, involving about 20 mobile phone users. The participants wil be asked to place in their rooms aroma pots installed with infrared sensors.

Users can then use their mobile phone or Wi-Fi connection to send fragrance recipes to the device via infrared or a home gateway unit. They will then be asked to choose music or videos to download, with the content being part of a fragrance playlist. While downloading, the mobile phone would then send infrared signals to the aroma pots, which would then create a blend from some of the sixteen available fragrances, the product of which would be the appropriate aroma selected. Once mixed, the unique scents are released into the air to create a relaxing atmosphere for the user. A number of recipes are already available through an NTT site called I-mode, but users can also create their own special scents.

NTT believes fragrance is the next big thing in communications and the company hopes to first launch this device with the much popular Apple iPhone. The company envisions a future where users can send each other scented email attachments, or watch music and video clips on their phone that will be enhanced by smell. How cool is that?

The fragrances, all of which could be combined to produce hundreds of other fragrances, could potentially help in easing stress, boost concentration, or induce sleep.

“If demand is strong, we would like to make this service available by March next year. We would be very interested in starting with the Apple iphone as it boost the most ideal model. ” one of the spokeswoman revealed.

The service is the mobile version of an already available service, called Fragance Communications. According to MarketWatch, the service works the same way and produces the same products, but with the use of desktop computers.

A main difference between the two, despite the used peripherals, is the cost.

Fragrance Communications requires the user to have an aroma pot that ranges from 50,000 yen ($493) to 70,000 yen ($698). The mobile version, on the other hand, requires a cost of only about 20,000 yen ($197) for the device itself with the cartridge refills at about $16.

The question is when will this service be available to the Apple iphone?

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If you have a Wordpress blog and want to provide a better experience for iPhone or iTouch visitors. You may want to consider this “iWPhone Wordpress Plugin and Theme” plugin.

It displays an optimized version of your blog’s content and formatted perfectly to fit the iPhone or iTouch’s screen, so there will be no zooming in to read the content of your blog.

Often, visitors want to have quick access to your website content, so it will be wise to provide visitors a better and easier way of navigating and accessing content on your site.

This is how iPhoneTuT looks like without iWPhone Wordpress Plugin and Theme plugin:

After installing iWPhone Wordpress Plugin and Theme, iPhoneTuT looks like this:

iPhoneTuT Homepage View

iPhoneTuT Post View

Now, you can have a better experience looking up iPhoneTuT for the latest news, reviews, tutorials and more on an iPhone or iTouch.

Just open up your Safari on your iPhone or iTouch and point it to http://www.iphonetut.com and that’s it.

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Apple has finally given users the chance to develop third party apps by releasing the iPhone software development kit, otherwise known as an SDK. The SDK allows software developers to program and run their own software applications that can be run on their iPhones or iPod Touch. This allows the addition of features that were left out or forgotten by Apple, such as instant messaging clients an to do lists. However, many experts believe that Apple is shooting themselves in the foot with the restrictions and limitations they have put on the iPhone development method. The major restriction on the iPhone development environment is that it blocks the running of simultaneous tasks. Though the reasons vary, maybe Apple doesn’t trust its user developed applications, or Experts argue that the iPhone is a smart phone, and its ability, or rather, inability, to multitask, is a major put down for businessmen and woman who need the ability to be up to date in this fast changing world. This gives Apple’s competition, mainly the Blackberry, a major advantage as it is more business oriented and conforms to the needs of its users.

Whatever the reasons, Apple may need to reconsider the restrictions it has put in place for the software development environment. In the long run it may drastically hurt iPhone sales in the upcoming months, especially when plans of a 3G iPhone are already in the works.

Since its release 2 months ago, critics have held the belief of Apple shooting themselves in the foot. With restrictions and limitations they have put on the iPhone SDK, it brings no doubt that Apple doesn’t trust its user developd applications. With its invisible grip on the iPhone, Apple slowly emulates corporacy in totalitarian states.

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Innaworks, a New Zealand firm that specializes in developing development tools for the for mobile gaming and application platforms recently unveiled their alcheMo programme for the iPhone.

Laying their stake on the mobile gaming industry, the iPhone stands a chance against giant mobile gaming platforms like the PSP(Playstation Portable) and Nintendo DS. Critics have repeatedly brought up the flaws of iPhone - the lack of Java support being one of them.

The alcheMo can effectively port Java games into the iPhone instantly. Moreever, its also an effective method to develop immersive and high-performance native iPhone games in Java while taking advantage of the iPhone’s accelerometer and multi-touch features.

Stephen Cheng, CEO of Innaworks said “With the expected introduction of iPhone’s AppStore in June, iPhone is emerging as a serious gaming platform. We are amazed by the effectiveness of the touch screen and accelerometer on enhancing gaming experience. We expect the early backers among game publishers to significantly benefit from their first mover advantage. alcheMo for iPhone will help mobile game publishers to reach the eagerly awaiting gamers with quality games on iPhone and iPod touch.”

(Source)

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Apple iPhone SDK Beta 3 is out on Wed, Apr 9, 2008. The size of the SDK is about 1.47Gb. You can get a copy over at Apple iPhone Dev Centre or via torrent iPhone Sdk Beta 3 9m2158a Dmg. If you are downloading from other place, make sure that the SDK version is iPhone_sdk_9m2158a for beta 3 and not iPhone_sdk_9a2151 which is for beta 2.

There is also new tutorial and extends the beta 2.0 firmware. It also has various bug fixes and “support for the latest iPhone OS.”

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It has almost been a year since iPhone’s phenomenal rise and launch, the questions that remain are when will it hit the shores of Singapore and which telecom carrier will win the rights to it.

With Singtel’s CEO previously expressing confidence in winning the rights for it weeks ago, it still leaves much doubt due to the fact that it hasn’t been confirmed. However, quoting sources from the Channel NewsAsia Online, Singtel might have already won what was already judged to be an one horse race. Prices are rumored to be set around S$690(US$490). Whether if the sets are going to be 3G enabled is still a big question mark.

With the iPhone set for release this June and confirmations of it being tied to Singtel, iPhone TuT forsees a booming demand for it to be cracked and unlocked to the different telcom carriers in Singapore. Previously, Apple clammed down on errant sellers in Singapore’s famous tech complex, Sim Lim Square for selling unlocked phones for S$1000(US$690) by threatening them with legal action. It’ll be interesting to see if Singtel will act on private mobile vendors offering unlocking services for iPhones.

(Source)

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The good folks over at Zibri ZiPhone, posted further evidence of a 3G iPhone hitting stores sometime in the near future.

Well this was found inside the latest beta.
If that’s not enough for you to understand, I’ll clarify it:
There is a new iPhone coming *very soon*.
The new iPhone will have Infineon’s SGOLD3 (PMB8878 or PMB8877)

The source code of the iPhone Software Update 2.0 indicates the usage of this HSDPA chip from Infineon.

S-GOLD3H based platforms enable handsets to provide consumer electronic quality such as camera support of up to 5 MPixel as well as video telephony, streaming, recording and playback with up
to 30 frames per second and a resolution of up to 320 x 480 pixels (HVGA) in MPEG4, H.264 or Real video formats and advanced audio codecs, like enhanced AAC+.

THE OPTIMIZED S-GOLD3H architecture makes it possible for the users to run several applications simultaneously; e.g. surf the internet, download emails or data to a SD-card with HSDPA category 8
(7.2 Mbit/s) while listening to MP3 music over a stereo Bluetooth headset.

If it smells like an iPhone, works like an iPhone, it is an iPhone in the works!

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The iPhone’s is only available through AT&T network in the U.S ever since its launch last year and it’s international release is only tied to Apple-cosy networks. Despite that, the process of unlocking, or jail breaking the phone networks is widely documented throughout the internet. A simple Google search will suffice. With the release of the iPhone SDK and the App store recently, the radar has once again been brought on top of the issue of unlocked iPhones. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs when questioned if applications that allowed the unlocking of iPhone would be permitted on the App Store, answered with a blunt “No.”

The level of unlocked iPhones has permeated an unprecedented level among iPhone users and difficult for Apple to ignore. Estimates put the amount of iPhones in use in countries where Apple hasn’t launched the product at more than one million.

There is little doubt that the popularity of an unlocked iPhone has been rapidly growing, with Apple’s CFO saying that it is easier to name countries where the iPhone isn’t being unlocked, rather than those where it is.

The only option for people who do not want their iPhones tied to a particular telcom operator is to unlock their phone. It is done through a process using a 3rd party software called jail breaking. By bypassing certain checks in the iPhone codes, which results in a voided warranty and no support from Apple if any damage is done to your iPhone. But rest easy that this process is completely reversible, simply by doing an software restore using iTunes.

Until the Apple finds a foolproof way, the iPhone will continue to be hacked and unlocked.

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