China: Wi-Fi-free iPhone Officially Lands!

It could be the Year of the iPhone in China, as Apple officially started selling its iconic smartphone in the world's largest mobile market Friday night.

While China saw nothing near the frenzy of the first iPhone launch day here in the U.S., crowds there did honor the tradition of lining up for the phone many hours in advance at several locations. A few hundred people queued up in the rain and cold outside The Place shopping center in Beijing, for example. There, Zhi Xianzhong became the first person to get the iPhone from Apple partner China Unicom after waiting 7 hours and 40 minutes, according to China Daily.

As expected, China Unicom, the country's second largest telecom operator after China Mobile, is selling two versions of the iPhone in China under a three-year deal with Apple. But cost could prove to be a deterrent. Prices range from 4,999 yuan (about $732) for the 8GB 3G model to 6,999 yuan (about $1,025) for the 32GB 3GS phone (sans contract).

[via CNet]

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Top 5 Free iPhone Music Apps

1. Pandora

Pros: Straightforward and easy to use; saves user data to account; nice interface with prominent album art; good music selection.

Cons: Skip limits; pop-up ads on every track; no community features.

The gist: If you only get one music streaming app for the iPhone or iPod Touch, make it Pandora--it's a great introduction for those who are anxious to hear some new tunes.

[via CNet]

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Live blog: iPhone 3GS launch day

The rolling rollout of the iPhone 3G S is under way. Apple's latest iPhone has been going on sale Friday at 7 a.m. local time in each time zone where it's available.

We've got a team of people covering the launch. In the East, CNET News' Caroline McCarthy and Marguerite Reardon are reporting live Apple and AT&T stores in Manhattan. Out west, Erica Ogg, Josh Lowensohn, and James Martin are keeping tabs on iPhone sales in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Are people lining up the way they have for past iPhone launches? Is the phone everything they expected it to be? Does it really take just 10 to 15 minutes to get set up? Tune in and find out as the day goes along.

T minus 3 hours

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET)

McCarthy, 4:14 a.m. EDT at the 5th Avenue Apple Store: Things are awfully quiet with less than three hours to go before the iPhone 3G S launch, even at the flagship Apple Store on 5th Avenue and 58th St. As of 4 a.m. there were only about 20 people in line: almost exclusively young and male. The store, normally open 24/7, was closed at midnight in preparation.

Engadget reported Thursday that a group of college students had shown up with 24 hours to go, but it doesn't sound like they had much competition for a while. This is reportedly one of the coldest and wettest Junes on record in New York, so the weather may have deterred many--as well as the mess that ensued last year when AT&T activation took up to an hour. For now, at least, the weather is holding up: it's chilly and foggy, but no rain.

[via CNET]

Get a Free iPhone 3GS! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone 3GS!

Best free iPhone apps

If you are like the editors at CNET.com.au, then the first button you pressed on your brand-spanking new iPhone read "App Store".

Apple's Phil Schiller recently quoted the total number of apps on the Store to be "50,000", a number as daunting as it is impressive. With that many new apps to choose from it can be a difficult task to sift through the goofy, quirky and downright useless programs to find those that genuinely have a place on your shiny new phone. We've been downloading apps and putting them through their paces for a year now, and below is the shortlist of our favourite apps that are available for free.

These are our favourites but we'd love to hear about the apps you use most on the iPhone. Leave us your suggestions in the talk-back below, or jump on the forums and let us know.

CheckTubes

Being seen with one of the hottest gadgets of 2008 isn't enough. You need to be able to prove it is better than the rest. CheckTubes tests the speed of data transfers from the network carrier to your gorgeous iPhone and maps the speeds and your location using Google Maps.

Remote

The name says it all — a remote control for iTunes on your computer or your Apple TV box. Remote connects using Wi-Fi and controls your playlists from afar. We tested Remote with a PC (gasp!) and found we could navigate iTunes faster from the iPhone than we could using the sluggish PC interface.

Google Earth

Like the desktop version? The iPhone app is even cooler because it can pinpoint your current location and "tilt" your view as you tilt your phone.

[via CNet]

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

5 Free iPhone apps that can improve your life

Free iPhone Apps like Evernote, Shazam, and Mint get all the glory, but there are plenty of other productivity-boosting, life-improving apps out there. Here's a roundup of five I'm loving right now--and because I'm a cheapskate (as well as The Cheapskate), they're all freebies.

• 6500+ Cool Facts Whether you're a trivia buff or just looking to learn more about the world, this nifty little app delivers. Read a fact, then tap the screen to move on to the next one. That's the entire interface--you can't save favorites or return to previous facts--but so what? Knowledge is power, and there's a ton of knowledge to be gleaned here.
• CardStar Best. App. Ever. CardStar replaces all the discount, reward, and membership cards in your wallet. To digitize a card, just type in a merchant name and your barcode number. When you get to the checkout, pull up the onscreen barcode and hand over your phone for scanning. My wallet just got four cards thinner!
• Howcast Need to know how to fix a leaky faucet...while you're standing at the faucet? Howcast delivers how-to videos wherever you need them. You can view featured, recently added, and random videos (just give a shake), or search for what you need. Second-best. App. Ever.
• iWrecked--Auto Accident Assistant Fender-bender? iWrecked helps you record all the necessary details, complete with photos, and turns them into an insurance company-ready PDF. It can also find nearby taxi and towing services and dial 911. This is one app you hope never to need, but find indispensable when you do.
• White Noise Lite Trouble falling asleep at night? A little white noise might do the trick. Just choose a sound--a thunderstorm, waves crashing on a beach, chirping crickets, etc.--and set your iPhone (or second-gen Touch) on your nightstand. The app features a volume fader and timer so your handset can "drift off" after you do.

Okay, your turn: What apps make your life easier? I'd prefer to hear about freebies, but don't be shy about nominating apps that cost a few bucks.

[via Cnet]

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Symantec, McAfee target iPhone for new products

Security companies Symantec and McAfee will be the latest big-name developers to make products for Apple's iPhone, as the two look to cash in on the popularity of the device.

Speaking to Reuters, McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt said his company is developing security software for the iPhone, though no other details on the product were provided. DeWalt also said the company is working on a "much more comprehensive suite for the Apple family."

Symantec is throwing its hat into the iPhone ring too, but it won't be developing traditional security software. Instead, Symantec is looking at a backup service that would give people access to files stored on their computers or on the Web.

The service sounds a bit like Apple's own MobileMe service, which stores data in the cloud. But it's unclear whether Symantec will offer the same type of data syncing available from Apple.

[via CNet]

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Watch Free TV on an iPhone (NBC shows)

Need a "30 Rock" fix? How about some "Friday Night Lights?" Forget paying Apple two bucks for every iTunes download: Just stream the shows to your iPhone or iPod Touch instead.

No, the rumored Hulu app hasn't arrived yet. But if you point your mobile browser to m.nbc.com, you'll find you can watch full episodes of more than a dozen NBC shows. Free!

(Interestingly, the mobile CBS site (iphone.cbs.com) can stream video in the iPhone-friendly QuickTime format as well, but for the moment, you'll find only clips and recaps, not full episodes.) Note: CNET is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS.

As you might expect, the shows are broken up into chunks that conveniently coincide with commercial breaks. An episode of "The Office," for instance, kicks off with a 15-second commercial, followed by the first eight minutes or so of the episode. Then it's on to chunk No. 2, which also starts with a commercial. It's all very Hulu-like, except that you have to start each segment manually.

In addition to the aforementioned gems, NBC has episodes of "Heroes," "Life," "Parks and Recreation," and (shudder) "The Celebrity Apprentice." The number of available episodes varies (rather inexplicably) from one show to another. You might find a generous 15 episodes of "Knight Rider," but only one "Medium."

[via CNET]

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

First Look: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone

After some hiccups in the development process, Sling has finally released SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone. The software works with your Slingbox at home, and lets you control and watch your satellite or cable box and DVR from your iPhone or iPod Touch.

All of the functionality found in previous SlingPlayer Mobile platforms is still intact. You'll have access to a menu bar that'll let you use a remote-like interface on-screen to control your box as well as switch sling devices and manage your favorite channels. What's new are a few gestures that'll allow you to scroll through your favorite channels as well as let you scroll up and down through channels.

SlingPlayer Mobile will work with new Slingbox and legacy devices, but Sling officially won't support the Sling Classic, AV, and Tuner models--that means that if you've got a problem with one of those devices, Sling won't be able to help you troubleshoot your issue.

Now here's the real bad news: SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone only works with a Wi-Fi connection, meaning you cannot use the 3G network to stream video. Also, we should note that SlingPlayer Mobile will probably perform better on your home network rather than a public Wi-Fi spot.

Performance wise, the software worked well. The gesture response is a bit sluggish, but overall it does work. Picture quality will always depend on your connection, but during our testing it was very good although not as smooth as a video you'd play natively off the device's internal storage.

[via CNET]

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the trouble of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

SpeedDate free iPhone app makes love search faster

Good news, everyone. And by everyone, I mean those who are trendy and single. Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and we're here to help you speed up that dating process.

You'll need to be an owner of either an iPhone or an iPod Touch, though. Thus, the aforementioned "trendy" notion.

This is my friend. Come get him, ladies!

Online speed dating service SpeedDate announced on Monday the availability of its free iPhone application. No more excuses. You can now find a match anywhere. Sort of.

The app allows access to SpeedDate members' profiles, which you can connect to by sending a "wink" or a quick "flirt." It also allows for creating a new profile if you are not already a member. You won't be able do much else, however, such as sending an e-mail to a member.

I tried the app on my iPhone 3G and got my profile up and running within a minute. After that, the application asked for my location and went straight to the "SpeedDate" tab, where it showed me a list in slide-show style of singles in my area between the ages of 18 to 99.

After narrowing the age range, I was surprised by the number of singles available in my vicinity. Unfortunately, the application doesn't allow for filtering by any other criteria, such as height, body type, or hair color. I couldn't put any of the matches into a "favorite" list either. And if I turned the application off, I needed to go through the same process again when I turned it back on. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find the same person again.

As it turns out, the free version of the site, the same as this free application, doesn't allow for the freedom to save potential dates, search based on screen name, or filter searches with more details. It only allows you to show interest in others and hope they will pick you (and can afford to connect to you).

Read the whole article @ CNet

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Watch TV on your Free iPhone with TubeStick

Equinux, the company that provides the TV-watching solution The Tube for Mac, announced Wednesday its all new hardware TV tuner called TubeStick. The device, when coupled with free iPhone apps Live TV and TubeTogo, allows you to watch TV right on the screens of your iPhones and iPod Touches.

With Live TV, you can stream live television programs directly via Wi-Fi to your iPhone from your Mac that runs The Tube. TubeToGo, on the other hand, allows you to access and program TV recordings on the iPhone via the Internet while on the go.

The TubeStick hybrid brings the joys of your TV to your tiniest of screens.

TubeToGo also offers the possibility to share published recordings with friends. TubeToGo uses MobileMe or any other FTP server for online storage.

Both Live TV and TubeToGo applications are now available for free download at the iTunes App Store and are compatible with Equinux's TV receiver TubeStick.

TubeStick also works with Windows-based Media Center, with limited functionality.

Read the whole article @ CNet

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

CNET readers share their iPhone 3G stories

Reception problems with the iPhone 3G are occurring in towns and cities across the U.S., based on readers' responses this week to CNET News' request for more information about their balky phones.

More information has trickled out this week about the iPhone 3G's reception problems, which are now believed to be the result of a problem with the Infineon chipset inside the unit. Business Week reported Thursday that Apple and Infineon are working on a software fix for the problem, which Apple has yet to officially acknowledge.

Reports of reception problems with the iPhone 3G poured in this week after CNET News ran a story on the issues Monday.

(Credit: Apple)

But CNET News readers across the country report that many Apple and AT&T customer service representatives are indeed aware of their problems. The iPhone 3G is having trouble connecting and staying connected to 3G networks even in areas that appear to be located within a strong pocket of AT&T's network, as well as on carrier networks around the world. Business Week's sources said that the problems are affecting "2 percent to 3 percent" of iPhone 3G traffic, but there's no official word on just how widespread a problem this is.

A few words of warning before we get into the results: this was not a scientific survey. Apple is believed to have sold about 400,000 iPhone 3Gs in the U.S. as of the first week it was on sale, and has certainly added to that total since. We received input from 334 people over the last four days, both in comments on our site and in e-mail, 312 of whom were iPhone 3G owners and the rest of whom were AT&T customers with other phones.

In the absence of any hard information about what was happening to the iPhone 3G earlier in the week (much more has come out since then), the idea was to try to get a sense of whether the problems were located in a certain region, or whether there was any other kind of pattern. If a disproportionate number of problems were happening in a certain area, for example, that could indicate nothing more than network weirdness.

Read the whole article @ CNET

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!