New location-based app in offing

Singapore-based software developer Xsago is working on an app for the iPhone that combines location-based services with social networking.

Called Foyage, this app will be able to tell you what shops, restaurants and ATMs are around you. It will also tell you if your friends are in the vicinity. In addition, Foyage will allow users to post comments from within the application that are simultaneously posted to Twitter as well.

The company has been working on Foyage since August 2008, according to company founder Willson Cuaca. He is hopeful Foyage will be ready by early 2009.

Willson’s background is in network security and his developers are new to Objective-C, but this has not deterred them from exploring the iPhone. “I’ve learned that you have to be in front of the wave,” says Willson. “If you wait too long, you lose first-mover advantage.”

Xsago is hoping that Foyage will generate revenue from mobile marketing, especially those tied to proximity. “We hope Foyage will enable impulse transactions,” says Willson.

Foyage certainly sounds promising. Let’s hope it gets off the ground soon.

Large Form iPod Touch To Launch in Fall ‘09

More for you to file in the rumour department: Tech Crunch cites three independent sources for a large form iPod touch.

Vaja website fans rumours of iPhone Nano

Case manufacturer Vaja has added an iPhone Nano to their website. See details on MacRumors.com.

Fund Watch - free for 1 day only

To ring in the new year, Fund Watch, the local iPhone app that monitors the performance of your mutual fund/unit trust, will be free for one day only on January 1, 2009. It normally retails for US$7.99.

Fund Watch charts the prices of funds from Fundsupermart Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. 

The developer of Fund Watch, Sasmito Adibowo, is also making his other two apps, Instant Motivator and Speech Timer, free on New Year's Day too.

Thanks Sasmito! Great way to ring in the New Year.

Free SG Trains leaving station soon

SG Trains will only be free for a short while more so pick it up while you can. Hon Cheng is continuing to work on the application so you can probably expect a new version very soon. One new feature in the works is a map that shows you where the destination station is in relation to your existing location. 

iPhone users like Hoiio

Users of the iPhone are rapidly taking to the Hoiio callback service. According to Teliwave, the Singapore company behind Hoiio, iPhone users are the third largest group of users making calls using the service. In terms of using SMS, the iPhone is ahead of all other mobile phone platforms. 

From Nov 1 to Dec 23, the iPhone platform was responsible for 9.1 percent of calls on Hoiio, behind the Symbian S60 (33.6 percent) and Jave J2ME (14.4 percent), according to Teliwave spokeman Made Adi.

During the same period, about 24 percent of Hoiio’s SMS users used an iPhone. This puts the iPhone ahead of all other mobile platforms, and makes it second only to the web (35.7 percent).

This achievement is even more striking when you consider that Hoiio’s iPhone app has only been available from November 13 (it has been downloaded about 1,200 times since). This means that the other platforms had an additional 12 days of usage over the iPhone during the period in question. 

Usage of Hoiio (phone calls)
Platform Percentage %
Symbian S60 33.63
Java J2ME 14.36
iPhone 9.11
Windows Mobile 7.65
Web 7.27
Blackberry 0.05
Others 27.92

Usage of Hoiio   (SMS)
Platform Percentage %
Web 35.67
iPhone 24.22
Symbian S60 13.97
Java J2ME 12.20
Windows Mobile 4.02
BlackBerry 0.02
Others 9.90

According to Made, the adoption rate by iPhone users has been faster compared to the other platforms that Hoiio supports. Made attributes the rapid penetration of the iPhone to three factors — the iPhone’s data capability, Apple’s App Store and the Hoiio interface.

“Data (GPRS) is not a fear factor for iPhone users. If I do a sales pitch to non-iPhone users, some people are turned off by the fact that Hoiio uses GPRS to initiate the call. I have to explain that we don't use a lot of data, only 2kb. However, as iPhones comes with a data plan and seamless transition from GPRS to WiFi, iPhone users are not so concerned about 2kb of data used to initiate a call.

Apple’s App Store also makes a big difference, he says. “Unlike other platforms which do not have such a dedicated channel, when we put our application in the Singapore App Store, we know that we are going to have access to more than 30,000 people to download our application. The App Store also allows users to easily install the application to their iPhone.”

It also helps that the interface for Hoiio’s app is the same as the native phone application on the iPhone. “Our iPhone users love Hoiio because they don't need to change the way they make calls, yet they can save on their communications cost.”

Hoiio's app is free on the App Store, but users have to register to use the service. They buy credits which are then drawn down as they are used.

Teliwave, the company behind the callback service, is a start-up based in Singapore. It is among the 200 finalists being considered for the Red Herring 100 Asia awards. Hoiio has about 8,500 registered users so far. Currently, Hoiio is only available in Singapore but the company is planning to offer the service to other markets next year. Hoiio’s mobile development lead is local iPhone developer Ong Jun Da, who is responsible for SG 4D, SG Pools and SG Toto. (See interview with Jun Da here.)

SG Trains free for 24 hours

The developer of SG Trains is making his application free for 24 hours. This app is usually sold for US$1.99 so grab this while you can.

At this precise moment, the App Store is still showing the regular price. The special Christmas offer is expected to kick in an hour or two. 

SG Trains is a nice little app that tells you how long it takes to get from point A to point B via MRT. It is also location aware so you get updated travel times as you move from station to station. See earlier story here.

Update: App Store now shows 'free' pricing.

Latest version of buUuk now on App Store

Download it here. For a list of new features, click here. 

More iPhone Nano Case Design Photos

Case manufacturer XSKN has posted pictures of its iPhone Nano cases, thus fanning the flames of rumour even more. See story on MacRumors.

Developers struggling to find revenue model for local iPhone apps

The bus guide SG Buses is a very popular Singapore-specific iPhone app, with about 27,000 downloads so far since its release in September. Today, it gets about 200 downloads a day. This useful bus guide, which is free but ad supported, serves about 10,000 page views a day or 300,000 page views a month.

However, while this might sound like a lot, the ad revenue from SG Buses is very low, according to Muh Hon Cheng, the developer. He does not want to reveal figures but speaking from his experience, says: “The market here is too small to generate substantial revenue from ads (through ad networks) such as AdMob.” 

If the developer of SG Buses is pessimistic about the advertising model, this is bad news for other developers because SG Buses is probably Singapore’s most popular local iPhone app.

In theory, another possible revenue model is to get people to pay for the apps. Unfortunately, paid apps are not popular. One developer described sales of his paid Singapore-focussed app as ‘abysmal’. According to another developer, just 10 downloads a day are enough to get on the top 20 list on the Singapore app store. 

Going global instead

If developers cannot get decent returns from their efforts, the future does not bode well for apps that focus on the Singapore market. Without sufficient revenue, developers will not bother to develop innovative apps tailored for iPhone users here.

This is already happening. Currently, Hon Cheng’s focus is on developing apps for the global market. “I’m only doing local apps if I know I can finish it in a day or two. SG Trains and SG ERP both only took one or two days to complete.”

The potential returns from targetting a global market can be seen in the experience of iPhone developer Joseph Wee. Joseph has released two Singapore-focussed free apps on the App Store  — Locacity, a location-based service and Trafficam SG, which shows feeds from local traffic cameras. On December 9, he released Freesaurus, a free thesaurus. According to Joseph, the two local apps are tapering off at about 16,000 downloads while Freesaurus, which was released later, is catching up with the first two, and shows no signs of slowing down. The ad revenue from Freesaurus are also more consistent, says Joseph.

Whither local apps?

Fortunately, even though the Singapore market is small, it does not mean that Singapore-focussed apps will dry up. There will be developers who create simple apps just so that they can learn about developing for the iPhone, the way Joseph Wee did for Locacity and Trafficam SG. 

And some developers are making apps almost as a hobby rather than as a business proposition. These developers will continue to create apps for the local market, even though the returns are not there. Ong Jun Da, who developed the gambling-related trio of SG Pools, SG 4D and SG Toto, complains about the poor returns from the AdMob network (his most popular app is SG 4D with more than 12,000 downloads so far), but plans to continue to develop Singapore-focussed apps anyway. 

Singapore users will also see iPhone apps that help local companies to extend their reach. OCBC Bank, the Today newspaper, Golden Village cinemas and callback operator Teliwave lead the way with OCBC Bank, iTODAY,  iGV and Hoiio respectively.

And finally, some apps will be created by developers who see Singapore as a testbed, a way to try out new businesses and new revenue models that can later be rolled out to other markets. The local restaurant guide buUuk, for instance, is doing just that. 

However, since advertising is the most popular revenue model for iPhone developers, there will, undoubtedly, be apps that never see light of day simply because the Singapore market is too small. And that's a shame.

iPhone Nano rumours burning up intertubes

A casemaker has added a new category called iPhone Nano that has sparked off a new series of rumours about a smaller iPhone model. XSKN is the same company whose cases/designs preceded the iPhone 3G and the fourth generation iPod Nanos. See MacRumors for the details and iPhone Alley for concept pictures.

ChangeWave: Apple iPhone’s ‘very satisfied’ rating more than double that of RIM’s BlackBerry Storm

See also the market share chart plotting the rise of the iPhone, Palm's decline and BlackBerry's plateau. Via MacDailyNews.

"Holy f--king sh-t - I was just in a plane crash!”

Citizen journalism at work. Man survives plane crash and uses his iPhone to tweet about his experience minutes after getting out of the plane. Via iPhone Savior.

Bus guide category gets crowded with addition of SG Transport

Public transport is obviously a popular category for local iPhone developers. Although the field is already crowded with entries, a new app called SG Transport has just made an appearance.

SG Transport is billed as a bus guide cum MRT guide. In reality, it is an above average bus guide but its MRT component needs work.

As a bus guide, SG Transport allows you to search by bus service or road name. What's nice about it is that you can see all the arrival times of all the services at a particular bus stop. This is something that other bus guides don't offer. Unfortunately, this feature does not work well and I am often presented with the message "Internet Error. Do you want to use SMS?" 

A feature I liked is the favourites. You can store your most commonly used bus stops in a favourites menu so that you can easily check bus arrivals at the bus stops you actually use most of the time. Of course, this feature would be better if the arrival times aspect worked more often.

This app has in-app maps so you don't have to leave the app to go to Google Maps to see where a particular bus stop is. Unfortunately, the app leaves you guessing where exactly the bus stop is on the map.

The MRT aspect of SG Transport is somewhat lacking. It consists largely of a map of the system. Tapping on "Journey Time" does not actually tell you how long it takes to get from one station to another. You just have to work it out yourself by looking at a low res gif representing the different stops on each line. In this respect, MobiGuide (see review) is actually better.

SG Transport is free so give it a whirl. However, if the app fails to improve how it handles bus arrival times, try the web app Next Bus. It's never failed me yet.

New MRT app hits App Store

A new app aimed at users of the MRT has hit the Singapore App Store. MobiGuide, by developer Mobiquest, allows you to find out how long it will take to get from one station to another, and how many stops it will make along the way.

Unfortunately, this app suffers from a number of problems. MobiGuide (US$1.99) uses an odd interface that makes it unneccessarily hard to use.  In addition, its limited feature set disappointing, given how an older app on the App Store already does almost everything MobiGuide does.

When you start it up, you are presented with a map of the MRT system. To select a station, you tap on the map and then tap on a button that says “Show/Zoom it!” It is not clear why the developer should choose this method over the multi-touch "reverse pinch" to zoom in. In fact, it seems to a step backwards because to select a station, you have to move a tiny little box (2mm by 2mm) to the spot you want to zoom in to.

I found this app to be buggy. Sometimes, when you are asked to select your destination, you only get one option, which is the same as your starting point. Unfortunately, the app also crashes regularly as well.

The limited functionality means that this app can’t be recommended, especially since an older competing app, SG Trains, does much the same thing, and does it much better.

Safari Plug-In Brings Flash To Jailbroken iPhones

Flash support, apparently buggy, thanks to iMobileCinema, a third party plug-in for Mobile Safari. Only available for jailbroken iPhones. See iPhone Alley for details.

How to Re-Enable Unlock and Jailbreak in Mac OS X 10.5.6

The latest version of Leopard broke pwnage, the jailbreaking tool. If you need to fix the problem, Gizmodo has the details.

iPhone thief thwarted by MobileMe sync

Great story via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). See? MobileMe is good for something.

Ocarina developers made $1m in sales

Newsweek has an interesting story on successful iPhone developers. I still can't play Stairway to Heaven though.

Games taking off

Seems like it is the funnest device ever. Katamari Damancy and Sim City are now on the iPhone while Metal Gear Solid is coming. See Ars Technica for roundup.

Workarounds for jailbroken iPhones and latest Leopard update

If you plan to update your version of Leopard (to 10.5.6) and to use a jailbroken iPhone, the iPhone dev-team have some suggestions on how to get around the device firmware update (DFU) mode problem.

Jobs no-show at Macworld Expo plus Apple pullout - what it means

The iPhone Blog has an excellent roundup of reactions from the major Mac sites. 

Review or add restaurants with new version of buUuk

The hardworking developers behind buUuk have been working overtime to deliver new features for Singapore's first iPhone restaurant guide.

The latest version of buUuk will allow you to add new restaurants that are not in the database. In addition, you will also be able to add your own review in the buUrp page (I love the name buUrp btw).

They have also tweaked the interface. There is a 'New' button that will allow you to see new restaurants that have been added while the 'Top Rated' button has been moved off the main selection bar at the bottom of the screen. (Does this mean that users prefer novelty to eating at top rated restaurants?)

I'm glad to see so many new features added to this already excellent app. I am also happy to report that there are a healthy number of offers on buUuk at the moment. Some of the better ones include:

• 25% off your bill on Friday after 10pm at Muddy Murphy's
  
• One-for-one Martinis on Saturday and Sunday at Ballymoons
  
• Free beer or Martini at BQ Bar

Pretty good deals, especially seeing that buUuk is free. The latest version (2.0) has just been submitted to the App Store. Watch out for it.

10.5.6 update disables direct iPhone Pwnage jailbreak

The Leopard update released by Apple today will prevent your Mac from recognising your iPhone or iPod in DFU (device firmware update) mode. From iPhone Alley: "If you intend to jailbreak or unlock your iPhone or iPod touch, we suggest waiting on the update until the Dev Team comes up with a solution."

The story was broken by iPhone Alley while Ars Technica has an analysis.

Use Seadragon to see Singapore on the map

I've had a chance to muck around with Microsoft's Seadragon Mobile app and I have to say it's pretty cool. You can start with a map of the world, and work your way through various satellite photographs to the point where you can the street you live on (a handy red tack--a little red dot, ha ha ha--tells you where you are). Zooming in is fast and smooth, the level of detail is amazing and it hasn't crashed (yet). Try it for yourself. Seadragon Mobile is on the App Store and it's free.

Excellent 3G reception on the NE line

As a regular commuter on the North-South and East-West lines, I've often been frustrated by the 3G signal I get, especially when the train goes underground. Today, I had a chance to ride on the North-East line and the difference is amazing. Full 5 bars from Little India to Harbourfront. The iPhone was fully usable underground, unlike on the N-S and E-W lines, where using the Internet is excruciating. Let's hope that the telcos get the 3G infrastructure up-and-running by next year on the N-S and E-W lines as promised.

Movie times for Golden Village now available

If you like watching movies and you go to Golden Village cineplexes a lot, this iPhone app will come in useful. IGV allows you to look up movie schedules and find out what's showing at different Golden Village cinemas. It also links directly to trailers of the movie.

The really useful thing about iGV (free on the App Store) is that it gives you the timetable for the next three days, so you can plan your movie outing.

Useful as this is though, the web app Cinepura is still the one to beat, especially if you are hankering to watch a particular movie. Cinepura covers all the cinema chains in Singapore and it allows you to see, in one screen, where and when that movie is showing.

Apple adds new genre as PullMyFinger makes it to App Store

Apple had previously given PullMyFinger, an app that makes farting noises, the thumbs down. However, it seems that they have changed their minds and the app is now available on the App Store. This is good news, not because the world needs more applications that fart, but because it signals a greater openness on Apple's part. PullMyFinger is listed under the 'Entertainment', a new category. PullMyFinger is available on the App Store for US$0.99. Via Ars Technica.

Microsoft Labs Seadragon Mobile for iPhone

Microsoft's first app for the iPhone showcases a technology that allows you to quickly view gigapixel images. According to TechFlash, Seadragon "comes with a collection of about 50 sample images, ranging as high as 10 gigapixels, including satellite imagery, art and pictures of space." (Via Silicon Alley Insider.)

Trafficam developer's first app was for 'world peace'

Joseph Wee and his wife Stefanie on holiday in China.

If it wasn’t for PMS, the developer of Locacity and Trafficam SG might never have written an iPhone app. 

Inspired by the potential of the iPhone, Joseph Wee, a program manager at a local software house, decided to learn Objective-C. “I started about two or three months ago. Coming from a .net and Visual Studio world, everything was ridiculously foreign to me, so I promptly gave up. Then one morning, I had an idea for uPMS, which was such a simple project yet interesting enough that I was really inspired and finished it in an afternoon, and basically that was my tipping point.” 

The app uPMS tracks the menstrual cycle so that people can be prepared when it’s that time of month. Aimed at husbands/boyfriends, the app uPMS tells you when to load the fridge with chocolate and to get ready the Beaches DVD. In the app’s description, the 35-year-old says it’s his way of “promoting world peace.” 

The Singapore iPhone Guide speaks to Joseph about his experience developing for the iPhone and his plans for the future. 

How old are you? 

35. Yes I'm an uncle, dammit. 

What's the story behind uPMS? There must be one.

Haha, yes my better half suffers from it -- thought I might find it useful myself. 

Since it was the first app that I posted to the App Store, while the review process was fast, the app status got stuck at "Pending Contract" for weeks. By the time it was finally available, it ended up at page 7+, so it had very low visibility, which was a real shame because I've had great reviews in the US; 5 reviews, all 5 stars....ah well...

You mentioned that your background was in .net and Visual Studio. Why did you decide to develop for the iPhone? 

1. Unmatched delivery channel

2. Insanely cool phone 

3. Global reach 

4. Money? 

5. Unable to escape reality distortion field 

6. A form of expression? Not unlike photography 

7. Intangible coolness of creating something used by thousands?

8. Be part of what is the dawn of a new paradigm 

9. Money? 

10. Cannot tahan seeing simple apps that I know I can do better get so much mindshare. 

Plus I have an unhealthy affair with anything Apple. I have all models of ipods, the Macbook, Macbook Pro, all the way to the Powerbook 180, the Apple IIGS and the Apple IIe. 

So yeah, I'm pretty much an Apple fanboy. 

Nice work on Locacity and Trafficam SG. How long did they take?  
Locacity was a "Sunday" project, i.e. it took me a whole Sunday to code it (it was really meant as a tutorial, cut/paste kinda learning experience). The POIs (points of interest) took me much much longer to massage than the actual coding (which was why I only started with four!). 

Trafficam took me about half a day. Again, it was meant as a tutorial. Each of my apps feature different aspects of app design, so I learn and also post meaningful apps at the same time. 

Why did you decide to write Locacity? 

Because I wanted such an app! Also seems like such a simple app to do right? Locly was promising at first but their search results are complete crap.

I see you are adding more points of interest. What else are you planning to add?

Probably fast food restaurants, more ATMs, cinemas, libraries, etc. 

Why did you decide to write Trafficam? 

Again it seems like a simple weekend project - but also I wanted to create an app that people would use on a regular basis (as opposed to games where interest would taper off eventually). Such apps would obviously have better sustained ad revenue potential. 

I wanted to create something that brings great utility for users. Same principle for Locacity. 

BTW, does this have all the traffic cams in Singapore?

Yes, as far as I know, it has all the traffic cams in Singapore. 

What else are you planning to work on? 

I'm at an exploratory stage right now. I shall be relocating to London in a month's time to join my wife for a year, so I need to know if this "hobby" is economically sustainable. I'm strategizing on what works and what doesn't. Personally I would be happy if it can generate just 50% of my current income. I'm currently collecting statistics, downloads, ads served, etc. 

I have a free ad-supported thesaurus app coming up (under review for a couple of days already)...to experiment on the global revenue potential. Hey everyone needs a thesaurus right? (Ed’s note: FreeSaurus is now available) 

Other than that I've also posted another simple app, and I have two games that work as proof of concept but I have no art design expertise to make the interface more spiffy.

What are your favourite apps (besides your own that is)? 

Spend, Shovel, eReader, Mobile News, Exposure, Things, Wikipanion. 

Any advice for up and coming developers?

Well I think it's a no-brainer for younger developers to jump on this. If I were 10 years younger, I would have started in July. I felt I was too old to learn new tricks, but the pull was just too damn strong in the end. Those not familiar with Objective-C and Apple's quirky ways will face a LOT of pain in the beginning. Yes you'll bitch a lot but ultimately it is a pretty elegant platform....

External links

Trafficam SG, Locacity, uPMS and FreeSaurus are all available for free on the App Store.

Cut and paste. Sort of.

How embarrassing that it has to be done this way, but at the same time, how ingenious. Still in beta but you can see how it's done from the video.

Caught in the Wild: Super-Mini Edition iPhone

Great pictures of the mini iPhone that is just a little bit larger than a credit card. Everybody will want one.

Korean smartphone market opens

Old platform to be retired on Apr 1, next year. The Korea Times has the details.

Whither iPhone sales?

A Morgan Stanley analyst says 'extreme' interest down to 5% from 7% in February 2007 despite $400 price drop. She's cutting 2009 iPhone shipments to 14 million from 19 million. However, Kaufman analyst Shaw Wu says Apple could sell up to 1 million iPhone gift cards, which would boost sales.

Music video shot on iPhone

Using Cycorder and a jailbroken iPhone. See the video here.

Microsoft: To Unveil Zune/Danger Device At CES Keynote?

According to one analyst reported in a blog on Barrons:

Trip Chowdhry, of Global Equities Research, today asserts that the company will unveil a new device combining the features of the company’s Zune music player and its Danger Sidekick handhelds, combined with what he describes as “some motion enhancement features” using an accelerometer, like the Apple (AAPL) iPhone.

Citrix to extend desktop virtualization to the iPhone

Slated to arrived next year (via Macworld).

iPhone more popular than Mas Selamat

Somewhat remarkably, Singapore's Google users looked up '3g iphone' more than they did 'mas selamat' this year. On Google's list of search trends for 2008, '3g iphone' was number 5 on the list of local searches in Google News. Escaped fugitive Mas Selamat only managed 9th position, ahead of paddler Feng Tianwei, though to be fair, 'singapore terrorist' was number 3 on that list. The top search term on Google News from Singapore was 'singapore olympics'. 

In other fascinating but non-iPhone related discoveries, Maxwell hawker centre was the top hawker centre looked up, beating Newton, while chicken rice grabbed pole position on the local food list, ahead of 'punggol crab noodle'.

The most popular search term from Singapore was 'lyrics' (why??) while Hong Kong actor 'Edison Chen' was the fastest rising search term after his sex photos hit the web. (Update: the iPhone was number 4 on the fastest rising list).

Click here for Google's full list.

iPhone Doom with TV-out: Try it yourself

Instructions via Ars Technica.

In Egypt: No GPS for you!

Walking like an Egyptian means forgoing GPS because Apple has disabled the technology on iPhones sold in Egypt. The Egyptian government argues that GPS is a military prerogative. Via the New York Times. See also Apple's support document on this topic.

Report: Apple To Open Store Near France’s Louvre

Likely to open in Fall 2009. Via Cult of Mac.

Munster: Walmart Could Sell 4.5M iPhones

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates that Walmart, with 3,000 stores, can sell 4.5 million iPhones in 2009. Via Cult of Mac.

New AdWords options for iPhone and G1

AdWords advertisers can now target iPhone and G1 users. See Google Mobile Blog for details.

Yes to WalMart iPhone. Probably no to 4GB version

At least according to the grapevine. Bloomberg spoke to several WalMart employees who confirmed that their stores would be selling the iPhone. However, no evidence anywhere of a 4GB version. MacRumors has a photo of WalMart advertising which shows an 8GB version going for US$197, with no sign of anything cheaper. Looks like if you're holding off for a cheaper 4GB iPhone, it isn't going to happen.

More on WalMart's iPhone

The San Jose Mercury News speaks to Walmart employees and confirms that WalMart will be selling the iPhone. The price has not yet been confirmed though one person interviewed did mention a 4GB version.

Trafficam SG now available

Avoid traffic james with Trafficam SG. I haven't tried it but it looks pretty useful. It has 46 webcams updated every 10 minutes.  It also allows you to compile a list of your favourite ones. Free from the App Store.

MotoChaser on TV

Ars Technica persuaded Freeverse to rework MotoChaser to run on the TV, using an undocumented TV-out feature in the SDK. After three hours of work, the Freeverse guys have the demo ready. Using a new iPod touch (with the faster processor) as the controller, they get about 20 fps, described as "nearly playable". Don't miss the very cool video.

App Store: 10,000 apps, 300m downloads

An amazing achievement. See stories here and here. However, Silicon Alley Insider says growth is flat.

More pullouts from Macworld Expo

Apart from Adobe, AppleInsider is reporting that Creative Labs and Belkin have also dropped out, while Marware has scaled back.

Rumor: US$99 iPhone to be sold at WalMart

A 4GB version. Source: Boy Genius Report. 

Gartner: Apple overtakes Microsoft as world’s #3 smartphone OS vendor in 3Q08

Gartner 3Q08 smartphone report highlights

By vendor, the iPhone has:

- 12.9% market share (vs 15.9% for RIM and 42.4% for Nokia)

- 327.5% sales growth over 3Q07 (vs 81.7% for RIM and -3.1% for Nokia)

By operating system, the iPhone has:

- 12.9% market share (vs 15.9% for RIM, 49.8% for Symbian and 11.1% for Windows Mobile)

- 327.5% sales growth over 3Q07 (vs 81.7% for RIM, -12% for Symbian and -3% for Windows Mobile)

via MacDailyNews

Adobe cuts 600 jobs, skips Macworld exhibition

Adobe says it will deliver below expectations in Q4 and cites weaker-than-expected demand for CS4 (see press release here), hence the job cuts. It was also previously reported that Adobe would not be exhibiting at Macworld in January, though it would hold classes.

Flickr video now viewable on the iPhone

Only new video uploaded from today though. See Flickr post here.

Readers React to David Pogue’s Review of the BlackBerry Storm

Mac users aren't the only rabid fans around, if reactions to David Pogue's review of the BlackBerry Storm is any indication.

PhoneBAK for iPhone (lite) awaiting approval

BAK2u CEO Paddy Tan has confirmed that a lite version of PhoneBAK for iPhone has been sent to Apple for approval. The original PhoneBAK for iPhone app, which was not approved by Apple, was designed to thwart iPhone theft. The app was able to detect the insertion of a new SIM card, and would secretly send out an sms and an email to a predetermined number and email address respectively. The email would also contain the location of the iPhone to help people track their lost or stolen phones. 

Paddy confirmed that the original version of the app did go around the iPhone's documented APIs in order to identify the SIM card used in the iPhone (the SDK currently does not offer any way to do this). In addition, the sending out of a secret SMS or email would require the running of a background application, which is strictly forbidden by the SDK. Apple did not say why the original app was not approved (contrary to what was reported previously), but these are two likely reasons the app might have been given the thumbs down. 

While Paddy would not say how the lite version is different from the original one, presumably it does not use undocumented calls nor does it run in the background. 

(Thanks to reader Gerard for flagging the original piece that led to this, hopefully clearer, story.)

RIM Blows Q3, But 'Strong' Demand For New BlackBerries

Research in Motion will come in below estimates for Q3 but says that it is seeing "exceptional demand" for the BlackBerry Storm and Bold. See story from Silicon Alley Insider here.

Use anti-virus software, says Apple. In June 2007

Making the rounds is news that Apple is now asking Mac users to use anti-virus software, suggesting that Apple now thinks the Mac platform is vulnerable. However, MacDailyNews points out this the source of this information is an Apple Support document that had originally been published in June 2007. The latest version merely updates the old document with new names and versions of the anti-virus software available for the Mac. Full story here.

Update: Apple has removed the support document from its web site (via Macworld).

Safari and Mac market share up in November '08

Figures from Internet tracking firm Net Applications show that Safari is gaining market share in terms of web usage. Explorer's market share, on the other hand, has dropped below 70 percent. Ars Technica has nice charts showing how Safari and Apple are doing. Net Applications has a chart that plots Safari's market share since January.

iPhone: 16.6% of worldwide smartphone market, 30% of US market

The iPhone is grabbing tremendous market share according to Needham analyst Charlie Wolf. Nokia's marketshare, on the other hand, dropped from 63.3 percent a year ago to 43.6 percent. Full story with charts at Electronista.

New Apple headphones only partially compatible with iPhone

The new in-ear headphones won't do volume control on the iPhone or the iPhone 3G (via iLounge).

Developers Now Allowed 50 Free "Promotional" Copies Of Apps

Only in the US App Store though (via iPhone Alley)

Palm: Fall Sales Horrible, Slashing Costs

Sales for the quarter ending Nov 28 will be 40 percent lower than Wall Street estimates (via Silicon Alley Insider).

(Note: Updated to fix typo because November, oddly enough, does not have 38 days.)

Nokia unveils N97

See stories by CNET and Gizmodo. Silicon Alley Insider has a roundup. Engadget has pictures.

Rumor: 32GB iPhone at Macworld

There is speculation that Apple will introduce an iPhone with a bigger capacity in January at Macworld San Francisco. The iPod touch already has a 32GB version but the iPhone doesn't have the space for two 16GB NAND Flash chips, says Mac Rumors. However, a single 32GB chip may be going into mass production. Read the analysis on Mac Rumors.

Apple Releases iPhone Configuration Utility 1.1

If you deploy iPhones in the enterprise, this will come in useful. Both Mac and Windows versions available. 

From the description:

iPhone Configuration Utility lets you easily create, maintain, and sign configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, and capture device information including console logs. 

Configuration profiles are XML files that contain device security policies, VPN configuration information, Wi-Fi settings, APN settings, Exchange account settings, mail settings, and certificates that permit iPhone and iPod touch to work with your enterprise systems. 

Via Mac Rumors.

WTF? A guide for the uninitiated

Michael Tan of Tangent Software has released a new app called Net Acronyms that is exactly as its name implies. This is a database of acronyms and abbreviations used online and in SMS. I'm obviously an old fogey because there's a bunch of stuff I don't recognise. Apparently 1337 means 'elite' while GSYJDWURMNKH means 'good seeing you, just don't wear your monkey hat'. Who knew? Available for free on the App Store.

Michael is the guy behind the very useful Upcoming Events (US$1.99) on the App Store. See an interview with Michael that was run previously here.

Battery problems with 2.2? Some possible fixes

From iPhone Atlas. Suggestions include deleting push-mail accounts and discharging battery fully.

Analysis of App Store apps

Interesting analysis clearly presented in various charts. Did you know that 77 percent of apps on the App Store are paid? Me neither.

Welcome to Macintosh - now available for pre-order

Welcome to Macintosh, the DVD for Macheads, is now available for pre-order at US$19.84 (gotta love that).

See another trailer here.

The Simpsons at the Mapple Store

Mildly funny with some nice in-jokes. Watch it on YouTube here.