iPhone apps for IT pros

Few gadgets have captured the imagination of both geeks and ordinary folk alike as Apple's iPhone has. Despite the significant segments of both populations who greeted the iPhone with a resounding "meh", millions have shelled out for the handheld super-smartphone. And if you're an IT pro, you may be staring at your shiny black plastic-and-metal $200 up-front expenditure and thinking, "Now what?"

Fortunately, the answer to this question is not the shoulder-shrugging and closet-consigning that might have met previous fads like the Pet Rock. The reason -- well, one of the reasons, anyway -- that IT pros would be partial to the iPhone in the first place is that it's a real Unix-based computer under the hood. The long history of iPhone jailbreaking goes to show how eager people are to get at that functionality, even risking warranty voiding and phone-bricking. But the advent of the iPhone App Store has now given geeks a more licit means to turn their phone into not just a geeky toy but an IT tool -- and one that your IT managers might not ban from the premises (and might even pay for!)

So, while the masses enjoy finding restaurants and playing off-brand versions of classic board games, IT geeks will want a something a little meatier, and a little more job-related, to fill their iPhone-ing time. This article will cover some of the apps that can improve your professional and hobbyist IT life. They're all available from the App Store -- no tales of jailbreaking woe or triumph here!

Going old school with the command line

If there is one traditional first reaction of a geek to a new computing device of some sort, it's "Can I get a command line on it?" True command-line hacking on the iPhone itself might not be available, but there are a number of terminal emulators out there that bring the experience of clicking keys on a black-and-green-screened VT100 to the palm of your hand.

But a terminal emulator does more than just offer nostalgia; it also provides a handy way to control remote machines from afar -- in this case, anywhere you have cell phone connectivity. Admittedly, for the IT pro a tool that makes it possible for you to be Mr. or Ms. Fix-It while watching TV or relaxing on the beach could be a mixed bag -- but perhaps five minutes of interrupted vacation time is a good use of time if it can avert a larger disaster down the road? 

Better still is the chance to subtly monitor or update your servers under the conference table while the sales VP is droning on about something or other in the weekly staff meeting, yet again.

There are actually three capable and well-regarded terminal emulators available for the iPhone: TouchTerm, pTerm, and iSSH, all for less than $5. All have roughly equal feature sets and various pros and cons, summed up nicely here.

I want my VNC!

Of course, a lot of the computers you'll want to monitor have needs beyond the command-line. A common tool in the help-desk's arsenal is VNC, which allows remote control of a variety of Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X desktops. With a VNC server on your computer and a client on your iPhone, you can use your phone as a remote control or remote trouble-shooting tool.

There are two VNC apps out there: Jaadu and Mocha VNC. Jaadu is from the same developers that brought out the beloved Touchpad Pro (a jailbreak-only app). Both are unfortunately lacking SSH encryption, so you can use them at your own risk; but for everything from mailing a document you accidentally left on your home computer to yourself to using your iPhone as a remote control for PowerPoint, these apps can help you out.

Targeted tools

If you're a sysadmin, you might need some specific information from your servers in an easy-to-digest form, or simple commands that don't require the overhead of a full-on terminal connection. Network Utility provides a great way to ping a server, scan its ports, get IP address and WhoIs information, and even see its physical location on Google Maps. Web Tools offers similar functionality, but doesn't have its own Web site -- search in the iTunes Store to find it.

How about one very specific -- but very useful -- bit of functionality, waking up a sleeping computer? There are a couple of iPhone apps that implement wake-over-LAN, Sleepover and iWOL. Both are an excellent complement to VNC, as you can now gain access to even computers that are dozing fitfully.

Yes, you can even edit text

You're probably never really going to use your iPhone to, say, tap out a 1,200-world article about iPhone apps for IT professionals. (I'd like to claim that I did just that while riding the bus or something, but truth be told my budget won't allow for my very own iPhone just yet.) Still, there may well be times when you want to make a tweak or two to anything from a memo to an HTML document -- and why should you have to pry your hands off your phone to do it?

One of the very few apps I've seen on the App Store with reviews almost all four stars or better is TextGuru. TextGuru is a fairly versatile text editor with a host of features that you would hope to see in a full-featured desktop editor, including (sakes alive!) the cut and paste functionality missing from the iPhone OS itself. There's also FTP On The Go, which, as the name suggest, primarily presents itself as an FTP client, but also has a built-in editor for those documents you access over FTP. (Unfortunately, SFTP isn't supported at the moment.) One of the problems with document editing on the iPhone is that the gadget takes an odd approach to file saving -- rather than a single filesystem, each app has its own little sandbox to save things in. These editors both work around this limitation in kind of kludgey ways, but that's necessary, given the limitations.

Most techies probably aren't as worked up as most about the lack of Microsoft Office support -- right now, you can look but not touch -- but surely the ability to edit a PowerPoint presentation will come in handy, when it gets here. A couple of different companies are working on Office-compatible editors, including DataViz, whose DocumentsToGo provides the same functionality a number of other platforms. (If you're interested, sign up on their slightly ominous notification page.

Just tell me what to do

Finally, with all the apps listed here, you might actually be getting too much information about your systems, which can really overwhelm a poor techie's decision-making processes. What if you just need a simple answer, and you need it now? Well, you can always consult the Magic 8 Ball, now in convenient iPhone form. Is it more convenient than lugging a physical plastic 8-ball around with you everywhere? All signs point to yes!

More apps a comin'!

The iPhone App Store is still in its infancy, more or less. There will be more apps, and improvements on the ones listed in this article, in days to come. And there might be some that I missed here! If you're in love with your iPhone as an IT tool -- or are miffed at what it can't do -- feel free to chime in in the comments.

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Worth Reading? VC iFund for iPhone Has a Blog

The venerable Silicon Valley investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) has already spent $30 million on iPhone-related startups and now it has launched blog. Right, just what we need, another blog. But this one should be of keen interest to those following the iPhone, particularly developers and others in the mobile industry.

"We're closest to the iPhone and that's where so much of the action is," Matt Murphy, who heads the $100 million iFund, told InternetNews.com. But expect the blog to cover broader industry topics, like Murphy's first post, which included coverage of the recent CTIA conference and some thoughts about the carriers' embrace of more open models. He says future posts will include guest bloggers and others at KPCB involved with various iFund-backed companies.

This week's first entry had one bit of news, that the $30 million investment to date includes an unannounced venture slated to launch in Q1. The iFund was announced with great fanfare earlier this year when CEO Steve Jobs first announced plans to offer a software development kit for the iPhone.

The four announced iFund releases are: Pelago, a company that offers "social discovery and location sharing" through an application called Whrrl, available now; iControl, a home automation and monitoring service slated for the Q1 of 2009; ng:moco, an iPhones games company which will ship its first titles later this month which is live on the AppStore and GOGII, "a new social interaction and marketing platform" set for launch later this year. The GOGII Web site indicates the company will offer text messaging services that connect individuals with groups that share common interests.

Given the iFund's perspective, there's likely to be a fair bit of boosterism for the iPhone as in the first entry that included comments like:

First and foremost. the iPhone. In a word, "Wow!" 1M 3G devices in 3 days and an estimated 6M in 7 weeks.

Second, the astonishing success of the AppStore. "Double Wow" ."

But Murphy insists even with the iFund's close ties to Apple, the blog will be an independent voice. "I think the main goal is that we're looking at so many different ventures around the iPhone ecoystrem and mobile that we have a lot of observations and discussions internally as well as externally," he said.

"The blog is another way for us to communicate with entrepreneurs and open up a line or channel of communication around this burgeoning, rapidly changing area," Murphy added.

There's an entry planned for later this month on monetization that Murphy said will discuss where the mobile industry needs to mature in helping developers realize revenue sooner.

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Google's Android no match for iPhone - yet

Anyone expecting the Google mobile operating system to change the market as Apple's iPhone has over the past year will probably be disappointed - for now.

Industry insiders who have worked on Google's Android system say it will struggle in the near term to match the consumer enthusiasm generated by the iPhone, which redefined the touch-screen phone market and greatly improved mobile Web surfing.

Instead, Google sees Android as an open source platform for designing mobile devices and says it will encourage innovation by allowing outside software developers to tinker with the system and create better mobile programs and services.

But these things take time, and the first phone using Android, code-named the Google "Dream" phone, is unlikely to wow consumers. The device is made by HTC of Taiwan. Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile unit reportedly intends to introduce it in New York on Tuesday.

"I'm not sure the consumer experience is significantly better than that of the iPhone," said Rajeev Chand, a wireless analyst at the investment bank Rutberg, who has tried out an early version of Android. "When the iPhone came out, the experience was several orders of magnitude better than anything that was out there."

Google, its partner carriers and application developers hope the Android platform will drive even more mobile Web surfing than the iPhone, which has helped mobile Internet use rocket in comparison with other smartphones.

But unlike Apple, which keeps a tight grip on the iPhone's hardware and software, Google will have less control. Android will be open to developers to create component technologies in almost any way they can imagine.

Google's engineering-led culture appears content to introduce the first Android phones as a kind of science project that will be rapidly improved afterward. But Google will not have the kind of leverage in mobile that it is used to in the PC world, where it dominates Web search. Phone carriers have a huge say over how devices are designed and what data services are accessible over their networks.

While Android could offer real promise in terms of technology and usability it is unlikely by itself to change the restrictive nature of the mobile industry, said John Poisson, founder of Tiny Pictures, a developer partner of Android.

"Carriers in each market will still control how it gets implemented and on which devices and in which form," Poisson said. "Android lives and breathes at the pleasure of the operator."

Another problem for Android is how to explain what it is to consumers. Unlike the iPhone, which came on the back of Apple's hugely successful iPod music player, Android is an unknown brand, even though the Google name has plenty of cachet.

"People forget these things get to customers through the retail channel and marketing," said Frank Meehan, the global general manager for mobile phones and applications for the Hong Kong telecommunications conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. "We operators struggle with how to market this phone. There's nothing really unique about it and we can't say it's a Google phone."

Despite the concerns, mobile industry executives say they welcome Google's entrance, as its deep pockets will help meet the increasingly high expectations of consumers for mobile services. From a developer's perspective, Android's advantages over the iPhone or Nokia's Symbian operating system is that it is open source, which means Google is sharing its software code and making it easier for third parties to develop compatible applications.

Apple's second-generation iPhone applied the same strategy and offers more than 3,000 third-party applications through its App Store, but the company still retains some control.

"Android promises to be the most open platform for building mobile phone applications that we've seen to date, because it's based on very familiar tools and technologies," said Jason Devitt, co-founder of Skydeck, a new service that will allow users to manage their cellphones over the Web.

Some hope that Google's entrance can galvanize mobile advertising, which is still in nascent stages.

"All these devices are resulting in better usage and that's what advertisers want and they're growing their spend," said Jason Spero, vice president of marketing at AdMob, a marketplace for mobile advertisers.

Google is hoping to generate revenue through its existing search advertising and related services by the addition of mobile to PC. "Google's power comes from the freedom of choice, in terms of the component technology and services that can be laid on top," said Cheng Wu, founder of Azuki Systems, a mobile Web technology company. "The only thing they want to control is the kernel of the operating system and the ability to data-mine for search and advertising down the road."

Eric Auchard contributed reporting from San Francisco.

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Apple’s Capricious Rules for iPhone Apps

Alex Sokirynsky spent two months, working nights and weekends, to write an application called Podcaster for the Apple iPhone, allowing people to listen to and watch Podcasts on their phones.

He was encouraged because he had written a few dozen Web-based applications that worked with the first-generation iPhone, all of which were promoted by Apple’s Web site. And he was quickly approved when he applied to download the iPhone software development kit, unlike many who faced inexplicable delays.

On Aug. 14, Mr. Sokirynsky submitted his application to be distributed through Apple’s Web store. It was his turn for an inexplicable delay. Last week, Apple finally contacted him, saying it would not distribute Podcaster. “Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes,” Apple said, according to Mr. Sokirynsky’s blog.

 

This is very curious. Yes, the iTunes software does allow users to download podcasts to their personal computers and transfer them onto their iPhones. But Mr. Sokirynsky’s application does two different things: It allows people to stream podcasts over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. And it allows them to download podcast files wirelessly to watch or listen to them later. These are both functions I’d love to see in iTunesthe iPhone, but they are not there yet.

Moreover, Apple allows all sorts of apps that duplicate various aspects of its own software. For example, several developers offer versions of the Apple Contacts application that manages names and phone numbers. There are downloads that similarly overlap with Apple’s maps, stocks, weather and photo viewer applications.

Much more significantly, Apple has allowed music streaming applications that directly compete with its music download business, such as Pandora and LastFM Internet radio. When I spoke to Tom Conrad, the chief technical officer of Pandora, shortly after the launch of the iPhone App store, he told me that he saw no signs that Apple was worried about competition.

There are even a bunch of applications that allow for the streaming of podcasts, sometimes among other functions, including vSnax, Stitcher Radio and Truveo. There is an application meant solely for watching the Diggnation podcast. (These other applications don’t offer to download podcast files, as Podcaster does.)

What is more, Apple has denied that it is motivated by thwarting competition even when that appears to be what it is doing. For example, it says it doesn’t ban Adobe’s Flash player from the iPhone to favor its own QuickTime software; it argues that Flash uses too much processing power for the phone.

So does Apple actually have rules or standards for what iPhone applications are and aren’t allowed to do? It hasn’t published any. It didn’t give any helpful information to Mr. Sokirynsky suggesting how he might change the application.

So far, Apple won’t say. I first sent an inquiry Friday afternoon to Natalie Kerris, the head of Apple’s iPhone PR department, asking what the standards are. She quickly wrote back, saying, “I’m not familiar with this particular app, so let me look into it.”

On Monday, Ms. Kerris did not respond to several phone calls and e-mail messages.

In the mean time, Mr. Sokirynsky is trying to sell Podcaster through a complex back door, which Apple calls “ad hoc distribution.”

I bought Podcaster and it seems rather handy.

I can’t see how distributing the program will hurt Apple. If anything it will make the iPhone a tad more valuable. On the other hand, treating developers capriciously is most certainly going to discourage them from spending nights and weekends working on new and useful applications that may give more people reasons to buy an iPhone.

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iPhone charger helps make device more business friendly

 Those of us who use Apple's iPhone find it increasingly useful for many applications. I use mine for phone calls (of course) along with checking the Net for messages on a regular basis and more. I can get a lot done from just about anywhere I am using it.

However, my objection to the iPhone initially was battery life. If I use it for listening to music, surfing the Net, reading books, etc. etc. that is going to drain the battery. Then making those late-in-the-day phone calls when I can't get near a charger (think airplane rides and walking around a new city) won't happen.

Well, that problem is in the past. Mophie has released a simple, easy to apply and fun to use battery charger for the iPhone. I'm using it now on my 1st generation iPhone and it works like a charm. From their spec sheet it gives a standby time of up to 250 hours, audio playback of up to 24 hours (nice when listening to educational podcasts on those long days), talk time up to 8 hours (that should take you through the midnight hour on those extra-long business days), video playback of up to 7 hours (for training videos) and Internet use of up to 6 hours (I like it!).

What the spec sheet doesn't say is the intangible, business benefit. If you think your battery is going to go out, you will naturally refrain from making calls. You tend to ration your remaining battery life. For an aggressive, successful salesperson, this could mean not making those important calls because you don't want the call cut off in the middle of the conversation. With the Mophie Juice Pack (love that name!) you just slide your iPhone into the pack and voila! You're back, ready to go with up to 8 hours of talking time remaining. If it produces one extra sale in a year, you've probably paid for the $99 unit.

Be sure to watch the video of this I produced (available at www.TerryBrock.com) so you can see it in action.

This illustrates an important technology for iPhone users. Even more important, what Mophie has done is vital for successful business today. Find a real need in the marketplace, make it easy (important!), fun (very important!) and cool (welcome to the 21st Century!) to use. Make your product affordable and something that your target market can embrace easily.

If you use an iPhone (1st Gen or new 3G), you need to check out their site and see what all this Juice can do for you. I'm certainly juiced about it!

(Juice Pack, www.mophie.com, $99.00)

Portable, Personal Home Theater

I love learning. I love to watch video educational material and produce a lot of it. When I first saw eye-wear available for watching a DVD or other video from your personal eye shades I knew it was going to be good.

But I had not seen the Vuzix AV920 yet.

To describe this device as incredible, awesome and outstanding would be an understatement. I recently got the Vuzix AV920 and got it hooked up to my iPod classic 80GB player. I was able to watch several video sales podcasts on a recent cross-country flight. Unfortunately, the flight only lasted about 2 minutes (at least it seemed that short!).

When you get the AV920, you might want to do what I did and that is to remove the earbuds which are attached to the unit. They have poor sound quality and can even hurt as they poke you in the ears. Instead, use your regular ear buds. I use my Able Planet headphones (luxurious!) and drift into my own relaxed, cushioned world of enjoyment with the help of the AV920. To call it merely an "enjoyable experience" would be like a stark-raving thirsty man in the desert saying that the refreshing, clear bottle of water was "adequate." You've got to try the AV920 yourself with one of your favorite videos to understand the dazzling experience.

Recently I demonstrated this to an audience where I was speaking and asked one of the participants to try it out. Yes, he loved it and those around were amazed how he was also engulfed into his own world of relaxation and amazement somewhere in the heavens watching video. When he finally came back to Earth (we had to drag him back!), he was delighted. He talked about the business benefit this would have. You can have a video of your product or service and show it to a client. They will be totally immersed in your message on video and you will have their undivided attention. It would make good business sense for a company to have several of these with accompanying video players to allow all key customers the thrill of your new video of your product or service. Better than a stand-alone video, it engulfs the prospect into your pre-designed message.

The business benefits of this technology are outstanding. You capture attention in an age of ever-expanding attention grabbers. This way you have your prospect's complete attention. That can generate more sales by using this creative, unique approach.

And who said you can't have fun while selling and making money? 

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Update: Memeo(R) Enhances Photo Sharing Offering With PC, Mac and iPhone(TM) Products

ALISO VIEJO, CA, Sep 16, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Friends and family can now share high-resolution photos and videos directly to each other via PC, iPhone and Mac with today's launch of Memeo Share v1.0, MemeoPhoto and Mac Memeo Share Public Preview. Memeo has added several new features since the Public Preview version of Share, including community sharing, improved filtering capabilities and social networking components.

 

After a simple software installation, users set up Sharing Circles(TM) that consist of different people to share media with, such as friends, family and co-workers. Once created, Memeo Share runs in the background and automatically sends and receives photos and videos between everyone in a Sharing Circle, and also posts them to a private Web gallery. By allowing original, high-resolution content to be shared, individuals can now use the beautiful pictures their high-quality cameras provide as they choose.

 

With the new community sharing feature, users can share photos and videos by simply dragging and dropping media from their computer desktops to the desired Sharing Circle. Ideal for busy families who take and share a lot of pictures, this feature enables everyone to receive them on their PCs and keep copies on an online gallery to review, rate and comment on. Memeo Share also provides community updates, further increasing the social networking aspect of the product by providing notifications of all Sharing Circle activity.

 

In addition, the product allows Sharing Circle members to filter which media they want to share or receive based on tags, ratings, media type or size, giving the user more control over how they manage the high-resolution files that are automatically distributed between friends and family. For example, if someone only wants images of a certain person or event, they can choose to exclusively receive pictures labeled 'family' or 'vacation.' Once a preference is set, Memeo Share will only download files in the future based on a user's selections.

 

Memeo also introduced the Public Preview of Mac Memeo Share today, and has opened enrollment to the general public to test the product. Individuals can visit www.memeo.com/memeoshare.php to register.

 

In addition, Memeo launched MemeoPhoto today, enabling iPhone owners to instantly share pictures and videos through Memeo Share while on-the-go. After installing the product, a user's Sharing Circles are automatically uploaded to the device. Whenever individuals want to share a photo taken with their iPhone, they simply drag and drop the desired Sharing Circle onto the picture they would like to share.

 

"Busy families finally have a simple way to share memories with each other. It's a lot like email, but more simple and automatic," said Hong Bui, CEO and founder of Memeo. "Today's version of Memeo Share includes new features that further create a true sense of community, making sharing personal again. To make things more convenient, we have also introduced Mac and iPhone versions of the product, so everyone can share, regardless of computer type or location."

 

Memeo Share is compatible with Windows(R) 2000, XP and Vista, and is available immediately in free 'Standard' and paid 'Premium' versions. The Standard version provides 1GB of free online storage to share photos with friends and family. The Premium version, for more frequent sharers, offers unlimited storage for $4.95 / month.

 

MemeoPhoto will be available soon as a free download in the iPhone App Store. For more information on Memeo Share, Mac Memeo Share and MemeoPhoto, please visit www.memeo.com/memeoshare.php.

 

About Memeo

 

Memeo Inc., based in Aliso Viejo, CA, is a privately-held software company backed by venture firm G51 Capital and Foundry Group. The company is focused on helping consumers and businesses share, manage and protect their digital lives. The company was founded in 2003 in an effort to capitalize on the rapid move towards a digital world. The company developed its software to give consumers and businesses alike a better way of protecting, managing and sharing digital, portable files and make them universally accessible. For more information on Memeo and its products, please visit www.memeo.com.

Memeo Inc. trademark statements. Memeo, Sharing Circles(TM), AutoBackup, LifeAgent and Zero-Touch are trademarks of Memeo. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. 

 

 

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New iPhone Chip Will Cost an ARM and a Missile

Given Apple’s super-secretive ways, it’s quite a shock to find a company engineer disclosing something about the iPhone’s future innards on a public social networking site.

Wei-han Lien, the senior manager of Apple’s chip team, dished out the morsel on LinkedIn, saying he’s busy at work crafting an ARM processor for the next-generation iPhone.

While it’s a minor revelation, Lien’s statement would confirm what many have expected ever since Apple acquired chip start-up PA Semiconductor in April for close to $300 million.

PA Semi had assembled an all-star cast of chip engineers, including Lien, and Apple confirmed that it bought the company for that talent. In a June interview with The Times’ John Markoff, Apple’s chief executive, Steve Jobs, went one step further, saying the PA Semi team would work on designing brand-new processors for future iPhones and iPods. The only question was which kind of processors.

The current iPhone includes ARM processors, which are very common in the mobile device industry. ARM Holdings is a British firm that licenses out its processor designs to other companies, who tweak the chips to suit their needs. While Apple refuses to confirm it, the company uses ARM processors made by Samsung in the iPhone, according to numerous analysts.

By developing its own ARM variant, Apple could create a processor that meets the specific needs of the iPhone and iPod, building support for functions like the touch screen or scroll wheel into silicon and possibly savings on costs by reducing the number of processors needed in each device. In addition, Apple will be able to maintain tighter controls on who knows what about its future products by disposing of an outside chip supplier.

  

“They could put software accelerators on there or maybe do something like a graphics engine,” said Fred Weber, the former chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices and current chief executive of the memory specialist, Metaram.

Such a move, however, comes with challenges.

“You are taking on that internal risk of making sure this design goes well,” said a chip analyst, Linley Gwennap, of the Linley Group. “Even with a good team, there’s always a risk that things will be late and delay the release of something like a new iPhone. By outsourcing that part, you have the opportunity of going to another company if the first cannot deliver what you need.”

The construction of a bespoke mobile chip sees Apple returning to its historical roots. For years, Apple relied on more specialized processors from I.B.M. and Motorola rather than using the more common Intel processors adopted by the major computer makers. It eventually abandoned that strategy in 2005 and moved over to Intel chips, leaving Apple’s software as the only major difference between its machines and rivals’.

The engineers at PA Semi specialized in crafting processors with strong performance and very low power consumption. Before shifting to Intel chips, Apple flirted with the idea of placing the PA Semi processors, which were similar in architecture to the I.B.M. and Motorola chips, into its laptops and desktops. PA Semi officials were, in fact, shocked when they learned in the press of Apple’s decision to go with Intel. Apple’s choice crippled PA Semi’s business overnight and forced it to go after new markets like networking and storage gear.

While hunting for new customers, PA Semi also managed to attract the attention of military equipment suppliers who were intrigued by the low-power qualities of PA Semi’s chips. (They consume less than 20 watts apiece.)

People familiar with the Defense Department’s intentions say that PA Semi chips are set to go into missiles, computers in fighter jets and surveillance equipment.

  

“By all accounts, the PA Semi chip is meritorious,” said Will Strauss, an analyst with Forward Concepts. “There really was nothing else quite like it.”

When Apple bought PA Semi, it had no intention of morphing into a military supplier. The Defense Department, however, received push-back from suppliers who had already committed to long-term designs based on the microprocessor. These equipment makers urged the Pentagon to pressure Apple into continuing to supply PA Semi’s chips for several years, according to people familiar with the negotiations, who declined to comment on the record because of Pentagon restrictions. Apple eventually caved.

“We are extremely confident and pleased with the direction of PA Semi’s silicon availability,” said Bret Farnum, a vice president at Extreme Engineering Solutions, which makes specialized computing systems, some of which go to military suppliers. “We have many customers that are going to continue to deploy it for the next four to five years.”

Apple declined to comment on matters related to PA Semi, which it operates as a subsidiary.

It’s unclear how many of the PA Semi processors will make their way into military systems. Some people I interviewed suggested that Apple could well sell enough of the chips over the next five years to cover the cost of the PA Semi acquisition. Others, however, said that the intense military interest in the processor that arose following the announcement of the acquisition came as a shock, since they were previously unaware of any military deals significant enough to keep PA Semi, which was running out of money, afloat.

“If there was that much business sitting there when Apple tried to buy them, they would have turned down the offer,” said Mr. Gwenapp.

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Apple Fixes 3G Issues With iPhone 2.1 Firmware Update

Washington (dbTechno) - Apple released one of their biggest software updates to date for the iPhone this past Friday in the form of iPhone 2.1.

The iPhone 2.1 software update aimed to try and fix many problems iPhone 3G users were having since its launch.

The biggest problem had to do with 3G issues for iPhone users.

Since the launch of the new iPhone 3G, users have reported that they have experienced a vast array of dropped calls, lost signals, etc.

Users have reported though through e-mail to us that the iPhone 2.1 update has apparently fixed all of these iPhone 3G connectivity issues.

On top of that, the iPhone 2.1 update also did a variety of other things.

The first was to fix bus that caused applications to crash on the iPhone.

The App Store games, and other tools now seem to run smoother, with fewer applications.

On top of that, Apple also improved battery life, and fixed security issues as well.

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Apple forbids competition against iTunes on iPhone platform

No matter how much Apple Kool-Aid you consume, you have to question Apple's recent policies in the App Store.  While some apps that could be construed as crude (iFartz and Pull My Finger) have been turned away, last week Apple denied a developer's app because it..

    "..assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes."

The app in question, Podcaster, does much more than just play podcasts.  It allows you to do so without syncing to your computer - which until yesterday was a 20-60 minute affair for some customers.  It also didn't store podcasts on the iPhone to free up space.


Is this not worse than Microsoft's positioning of Internet Explorer vs. Netscape Navigator in the late 90's, which eventually crushed Netscape?  Imagine if Microsoft just denied Netscape to be installed on their Windows platform. Does the DOJ need to get involved for Apple to see it is wrong?

This isn't just bad for consumer choice, it is a dangerous and demoralizing precedent to set to developers who look to spend months of their time developing apps for iPhone.  And it isn't just for solo developers.  Imagine if you are a large company that wants to bring a product to the platform.  If Apple decides it wants to compete in this area, your App gets pulled and your revenue disappears.

To add insult to injury, the developers don't find out until after the work is done that their apps are essentially worthless.

Apple has already pulled an app that appeared to be within the bounds of Apple's app store terms of service (perhaps not some carriers') after it had already been on sale.  The app, called NetShare, allowed the iPhone to be paired as a Wifi modem for computers.

The Macintosh community is up in arms about this possibly disturbing behavior.  Now some developers are abandoning the App Store entirely.  Fraser Speirs sums up some of the developer outrage:

    App Store: I’m out.

    I will never write another iPhone application for the App Store as currently constituted*.

    Writing software is a serious investment of time and energy. It also carries the opportunity cost of the other things you could have built. We live in a capitalist economy. Under capitalism, profit is the reward for economic risk. Without a reasonable expectation of profit, the sensible business-person will not invest. Without investment and risk-taking, there is no innovation.

    Apple’s current practice of rejecting certain applications at the final hurdle - submission to the App Store - is disastrous for investor confidence. Developers are investing time and resources in the App Store marketplace and, if developers aren’t confident, they won’t invest in it. If developers - and serious developers at that - don’t invest, what’s the point?

    You have to wonder if Apple wants the App Store to be a museum of poorly-designed nibware written by dilettante Mac OS X/iPhone OS switcher-developers and hobbyist students. That’s what will happen if companies who intend to invest serious resources in bringing an original idea to the App Store are denied a reasonable level of confidence in their expectation of profit.

Fraser offers some fixes before he's coming back.  They largely make sense:

       1. Publish clear and unambiguous rules for what will be accepted and what will not. I don’t even care if this is a long and detailed document, but it needs to be The Rulebook from which both sides play.
       2. Defend those rules against external pressure from carriers (NetShare) or the media (Slasher).
       3. Design a process by which developers can be given official pre-approval of their idea. Possibly a general nod, possibly conditional on certain criteria. If developers are going to go and borrow money to hire talent or build out services, they need more confidence than “call us when you’re done”.
       4. Loudly and conspicuously hire an App Store Evangelist. Preferably someone with an already high profile who does not already work for Apple. In fact, it might even be best if this person was not paid by Apple but an independent developer to whom Apple would give deep access to work with the App Store team. This is an investor trust issue.
       5. When controversies arise, let the Evangelist get into the conversation and lay out a clear rationale for Apple’s actions.
       6. Send the App Store Evangelist to every corner of the earth where iPhone developers gather. Unshackle them from the usual Apple constraints on public speaking. Get them on podcasts. For better or for worse, Apple has to start talking to the iPhone developer community.

As of now there isn't much competition to the App Store.  It has revolutionized the industry.  However, Google and Microsoft are both coming out with competitors for their mobile platforms. If they can offer a compelling choice with more options, developers will move to the Google platform, offering their customers more value. 

Apple needs to change its ways if the company wants to remain a leader in the mobile space. If not, they might see their platform marketshare decrease like their Macintosh did in the 90's.

Apple has already made it clear that it won't allow alternate browsers or Adobe's Flash on the App platform.  What is next?

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PwnageTool supports now iPhone Firmware 2.1

The iPhone Dev Team managed to update their iPhone jailbreaking tool pretty quickly after the release of the iPhone Software update 2.1 on Friday.
The new PwnageTool for iPhone firmware 2.1 works with iTunes 8 without any patches.
The new PwnageTool is not tested yet with the new iPod touch 2G.

Despite the amazing success of the iPhone App Store (100 million downloads in 2 months) there is still also large interest in homebrew iPhone apps and playing outside of Apple's yard. The latest rejection of an App to the iTunes App store by Apple might actually even grow that segment.
More details and download are available on iPhone Dev Team site.

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