Web Stunt

Ever since the iPhone’s debut, there has always been a majority of users looking to unlock their device whether it’s to get away from AT&T’s questionable service, use a carrier that doesn’t sell the iPhone or travel the world without the hassle of exorbitant roaming fees. If you fit in to one of those categories, Buy.com’s unlocked iPhones might interest you, if you have deep pockets that is.

Buy.com recently started selling unlocked iPhones but the catch is these handsets are unlocked by Apple to distribute to carriers who want to sell them at a massive premium. What separates these iPhones from other “unlocked” iPhones is that these aren’t regionally locked, or so Buy.com claims and do not use any third-party hacks to unlock the handset. What will set you back is the price tag these iPhones carry, $799, although shipping is free.

Via: The iPhone Blog

Techcrunch recently caused a stir in the iPhone world by stating Apple is charging developers %100 for App refunds taking more money out of their pocket than is necessary.

Communication amongst developers reveals that Apple has the capability to charge them the full sale price of their App for the refund but the common trend are developers only being charged their 70% cut while the other 30% is refunded by Apple. The amount of refunds taking place is minimal and shouldn’t affect developers but the fact that Apple is willing to eat their 30% cut to offer a refund refutes Techrunch’s frivolous rumor. However, refunds are very hard to get from the App Store even if the App is rendered nonfunctional by Apple.

Via: The iPhone Blog

The iPhone in China has been distributed through the black market since its US launch in 2007 much to Apple’s chagrin. Talks between carriers have fallen through numerous times over disagreements in licensing the device but now, it looks like the iPhone will be making its way to China the way Apple intended to.

Talks between major Chinese cellular carriers have failed numerous times with the details only be recently revealed over licensing issues such as revenue splitting in the App Store. Oddly, the iPhone has appeared on a website run by China Unicom’s Shanghai Branch as if in preparation for an imminent launch. A roughly translated version of the text from the Shanghai branch’s page:

The information, which listed smartphones supported by the 3G network China Unicom is building, appeared only on the Web site of the company’s Shanghai branch and did not say whether the products would be offered in China.

The site’s changes follow media reports that a China Unicom delegation visiting Apple last week made a breakthrough in talks over offering the iPhone 3G on its network.

While this is the most reliable evidence we’ve seen… more...

MobileMe has always had an odd place on the iPhone from wonky service to features not working the way you wanted them to right off the bat. Some digging in OS 3.0 however has brought up something many of us have been craving (leveraging MobileMe no doubt): a way to possibly track your iPhone using the GPS radio.

While not as epic as Liam Neeson running through the streets of Paris to find your iPhone, this purported feature would allow you to find your iPhone directly on the MobileMe website. If this feature actually makes it to the final release (unlike Push notification the last time around), you could track down your iPhone to its exact location and give its captor a scare when you read off their address complete with sending them a picture of their house from Google Maps over the newly supported MMS protocol.

Picture after the jump

Via: The iPhone Blog

After we reported yesterday that a prototype version of the iPhone was available on eBay, Beta Firmware build and all, it managed to get the attention of Apple who requested the auction be pulled due to copyright concerns. Now the Beta Firmware is around in the wild and far from the reaches of Apple’s legal grip.

According to a tweet from Arnold Kim, the same Firmware we saw demoed on the prototype iPhone that made its short debut on eBay is now floating around the Internet as a sort of mockery to Apple’s copyright complaint. If you missed the video demonstration which suffered the same fate as the eBay auction, it’s been uploaded to YouTube again.

Via: The iPhone Blog

Two things are apparent from this video: The first is that Triple H has apparently lost the World Heavyweight Championship and the second is you can do a rocking cover just using iPhones!

There’s a chance that this isn’t the first music video shot on an iPhone but it is doubtful because, maddeningly, the iPhone doesn’t come with built in video recording. So you have to give some credit to GOSHone for creativity.

The video actually looks pretty good, there’s some nifty effects in there and such but it clearly isn’t on the level of a really professional video like Elektronik-Supersonic. Wait, that’s a joke. That video is purposely horrible so the joke isn’t funny. The video is better than, say, this (warning rated PH for Paris Hilton, you can thank David Chartier for the suggestion. That guy rules)

As for the quality of the music I couldn’t say. Hadley Stern is our resident expert and he was unavailable for comment. GOSHone might bust some mad rhymes with a geek lean or he might not (for true geekiness you should rhyme something with big endian) but since every time I attempt something semi creative in the music realm it ends up sounding not unlike two howler monkeys, three cats on steroids and a dolphin all shoved in a box with… more...

The story is too delicious to be true but it goes as follows: Youngish girl engages in sexual relations for the first time and accidently texts her father about it instead of her best friend. The exchange is as follows:

Lizzy: OMG! Just had 1st time on beach! Gr8! Wish u were here!

Dad: I’m assuming this was for intended for someone else Lizzy.

Dad: Class trip is over. Tomorrow 7:10 am Delta #(obscured) Use my credit card for Taxi.

See the screen shot here.

If you look at the image it is obviously snaps from an iPhone. But the entire thing is likely an upstart urban legend. The story might be great but there isn’t any of the back and forth you’d expect from someone who was actually guilty of something. Let’s rewrite the conversation with what would’ve really happened:

Lizzy: OMG! Just had 1st time on beach! Gr8! Wish u were here!

Dad: I’m assuming this was for intended for someone else Lizzy.

Lizzy: DAD! I’m pl@ying volleyball! GR8 on the beach! Wish you were here so you could set me up 4 the spike!

See there are all kinds of ways to… more...

With all the polling go on surrounding the upcoming election iPhone Matters was feeling a little left out. So we hired some pollsters to get the scoop on which phones rock and which phones don’t. Sample size 2, m.o.e. +- 3%.
First the bad news:
Phones that Suck:
Motorola
Nokia (all models)
RIM (all models)
Samsung (all models)
Kyocera (all models)
LG (all models)
Panasonic (all models)
Sanyo (all models)
Siemens (all models)
Audiovox (all models)
Sony Ericsson (all models)
HTC (all models)

Phones rated neutral
iPhone Edge
Motorola Startac

Phones that don’t Suck:
iPhone 3G (8 GB)
iPhone 3G White

Phones that Rock:
iPhone 3G (16 GB, Black)

Surprising results…

It’s official! “I Am Legend” is now my favorite horror film. Not only does it have a great plot, and main actor, it also has a website. Like many other movies, the website explains the movie and gets people excited. When visiting the website, there was something that caught my attention. The Official “I Am Legend” website has a dedicated iPhone page! Wow, and they put a lot of effort into the design. It is awesome that one of my favorite movies now has a page dedicated to one of my favorite things.  The iPhone page has wallpapers and many extras. “I Am Legend” is awesome.

This movie is awesome in every way. Go and see it not only because it is great, but because it has an iPhone page. If you have seen it you must agree with me that it was a tremendously good movie.

Go to iamlegend.com, and the page will auto format for either desktop or iPhone.