TamsIJungle

Don’t ask me why, but it looks like our friends at Hutchison’s have hit a gold mine with their business model of selling Apple hardware along with a mobile WiFi router.

Sprint has just started to air the TV ad below, which shows an iPhone connecting to their new 4G WiFi router:

Not much more to add here…

When it comes to mobile devices, analysts usually look just at the processor. However, the CPU alone does not make a device – it also takes the baseband processor which handles communication.

Strategy Analytics performed a tally of baseband makers, and ended up with the following chart – it shows who produced how much in Q3 2009:

Source: Strategy Analytics

The US smartphone market is especially interesting for mobile developers, as it has traditionally been extremely strong when it comes to moving content. The US-based company comScore has just released a bit of data on the matter.

First of all, a look at the vendors on an OEM level – this figure includes both dumbphones and smartphones alike:

Another classic metric is the one showing the platforms – here is ComScore’s take on this matter:

Further information can be had via the URL below:
http://www.comscore.com/index.php/layout/set/ …

Apple’s iPad has been announced for some time – the pre-ordering phase started yesterday. So far, no official numbers have been released…but a blogger tries to fill the void.

He describes his stat generation method as follows:

It’s not an exact science though. This web order sequence of course includes all Apple products sold through the US Online Store. But for today, this is relatively insignificant when compared to the iPad orders. The average daily order volume from January 16 to March 5 was about 16 thousand orders per day. From March 5 until the first order submitted after the store opened today it was about 14.5 thousand per day.

When rendered, the chart looks like this:

Further information can be had at the URL below (it is work-safe):
http://aaplmodel.blogspot.com/2010/03/ …

Apple is the last major phone manufacturer who refuses to deploy user-replaceable batteries – while this is annoying if your handset is dry and you can’t exchange the battery, it allows for a significantly higher integration density and thus smaller devices.

So far, devices which were sent in were repaired – with the iPad, things look different. The statements below are from Apple’s official iPad FAQ:

What is iPad Battery Replacement Service?
If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.

…

How much does it cost?
The service costs $99, plus $6.95 shipping. The total cost is $105.95 per unit.
All fees are in U.S. dollars and are subject to local tax.

…

Will the data on my iPad be preserved?
No. You will receive a replacement iPad that will not contain any of your personal data. Before you submit your iPad for service, it is important to sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad.

Of course, the devices are likely being refurbished and sent out again – let’s see how this process will work in a year and a half from now (aka when battery aging problems start top occur en masse)..

Apple’s iPhone SDK came out – and rumors of multitasking support started. So far, they have not been fulfilled.

AppleInsider reports that this could fall in the near future:

People with a proven track record in predicting Apple’s technological advances tell AppleInsider that the Cupertino-based company has developed a “full-on solution” to multitasking on the iPhone OS but offered no specifics on how the technology would optimize resource conservation and battery life — two of the most critical issues surrounding the matter, alongside security.

From a user-facing perspective, Apple plans to deliver a multi-tasking manager that leverages interface technology already bundled with its Mac OS X operating system, according to those same people. It was requested that specifics be withheld at this time, as the iPhone Software 4.0 remains under development and reportedly has a quite ‘way to go’ before it’s ready for prime time.

So far, not much more is known. However, I don’t think that Apple will wait much longer given the competition…

Apple is well-known for the utmost level of secrecy applied to all things iPhone – when the device first launched, developers weren’t even allowed to talk about programming the device.

The license agreement still is considered secret. However, the EFF managed to get one off the NASA via a FOIA request. Their examination revealed the following worrisome passages:

Ban on Public Statements: As mentioned above, Section 10.4 prohibits developers, including government agencies such as NASA, from making any “public statements” about the terms of the Agreement. This is particularly strange, since the Agreement itself is not “Apple Confidential Information” as defined in Section 10.1. So the terms are not confidential, but developers are contractually forbidden from speaking “publicly” about them.

App Store Only: Section 7.2 makes it clear that any applications developed using Apple’s SDK may only be publicly distributed through the App Store, and that Apple can reject an app for any reason, even if it meets all the formal requirements disclosed by Apple. So if you use the SDK and your app is rejected by Apple, you’re prohibited from distributing it through competing app stores like Cydia or Rock Your Phone.

Ban on Reverse Engineering: Section 2.6 prohibits any reverse engineering (including the kinds of reverse engineering for interoperability that courts have recognized as a fair use under copyright law), as well as anything that would “enable others” to reverse engineer, the SDK or iPhone OS.

No Tinkering with Any Apple Products: Section 3.2(e) is the “ban on jailbreaking” provision that received some attention when it was introduced last year. Surprisingly, however, it appears to prohibit developers from tinkering with any Apple software or technology, not just the iPhone, or “enabling others to do so.” For example, this could mean that iPhone app developers are forbidden from making iPods interoperate with open source software, for example.

Kill Your App Any Time: Section 8 makes it clear that Apple can “revoke the digital certificate of any of Your Applications at any time.” Steve Jobs has confirmed that Apple can remotely disable apps, even after they have been installed by users. This contract provision would appear to allow that.

We Never Owe You More than Fifty Bucks: Section 14 states that, no matter what, Apple will never be liable to any developer for more than $50 in damages. That’s pretty remarkable, considering that Apple holds a developer’s reputational and commercial value in its hands—it’s not as though the developer can reach its existing customers anywhere else. So if Apple botches an update, accidentally kills your app, or leaks your entire customer list to a competitor, the Agreement tries to cap you at the cost of a nice dinner for one in Cupertino.

Further information and the full text can be had via the URL below:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/iphone-developer-program-license-agreement-all

Apple’s iPad was announced without a camera. However, both the hardware and the SDK contained multiple references to a camera of sorts.

The SDK documentation of the latest version of the SDK now contains the statement below:

Launching the Photos application under the iPad Simulator will initially show three tabs: Photos, Albums, and Camera. The Camera tab represents photos available via the Camera Connection Kit for iPad, and is not relevant for the Simulator. The Camera tab will disappear after a few seconds

So much for all iPad camera rumors – looks like this feature has to wait for the next revision…

TamsIJungle was the first site to cover Hutchison Austria’s idea of bundling their portable Wifi access points with an iPad.

According to a slide leaked to Engadget, Verizon seems to plan something similar:

As of now, not much is known. However, I dare to assume that we’ll see cases for iPad and router in the near future…

Long-term followers of this web site know that I love new screen technologies – especially if they are of the OLED variety. Samsung claims to have one step further with its Super AMOLED…but has not disclosed too much so far.

Don’t ask me where erikaustria1974 got the tone-less video below – it seems to be a Samsung-internal video showing the benefits of Super AMOLED:

Not much to add here…