Apple’s Beatles Rumours May Come True Soon

 Apple

The Beatles would go digital with their back catalogue in 2008. Cue a whole host of rumors, and, on Monday, his promise seemed to have come true with the story that the remaining Beatles had done a $400 million deal with Apple to put their entire back catalogue on iTunes.

But the very next day, one of the companies that owns the rights to a vast majority of the back catalogue denied the reports.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the joint venture owned by Sony and Michael Jackson, branded them “untrue”, adding that if a deal had been made, they would know about it.

And today, it’s Apple that has stepped up to deny the claims.

The computing giant has told Reuters that the story is “unsubstantiated speculation”, and added: “This is not news nor is it a scoop”.

 source:pocket-lint

Silverlight be the next Microsoft technology to work on the iPhone?

Silverlight

Could Silverlight be the next Microsoft technology to work on the iPhone? Don’t bet on it anytime soon, said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Speaking in Las Vegas at the MIX 08 conference on Thursday, Ballmer said Microsoft wants to get its Silverlight technology, which allows developers to build and deliver multimedia applications on the Web, “everywhere,” and that putting it on the iPhone is certainly “interesting.”

“I can’t say there has been extensive discussion” with Apple CEO Steve Jobs about it, Ballmer said.

He said he was concerned about Apple’s plan, unveiled Thursday, to let developers sell applications for the iPhone on iTunes and take a 30 percent cut of revenues. Ballmer suggested that Apple might charge Microsoft similarly to get Silverlight on the iPhone, though there is so far no evidence to support this belief.

 

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BBC’s iPlayer is now available to iPhone and iPod Touch

iPlayer

BBC’s iPlayer is now available to iPhone and iPod Touch owners on the go.
It is the first time the software has been available on portable devices, and it will work over a Wi-Fi connection but not over the mobile network.

The BBC has launched a new version of its iPlayer video on demand service specifically for the Apple devices, which allows immediate streaming on iPlayer content.

And compatibility with other portable players is mooted – a BBC developer said that the corporation was currently working on other versions of the iPlayer for “many more” devices.

 source:BBC

VoIP co Truphone today welcomed Apple’s launch of the SDK

Iphone

Injunction-happy VoIP co Truphone today welcomed Apple’s launch of the SDK for the iPhone.

Steve Jobs revealed that although VoIP apps would be approved for the iPhone if they worked over Wi-Fi, GSM-based solutions would be banned from the official App Store.

Truphone says its engineering department will be examining the SDK to see how it can help with the development of a Wi-Fi Truphone client for the iPhone.

source:pocket-lint

Ceramic iPod speaker “Phonofone”, it uses no power!!!

Phonofone

The Phonofone is an unusual speaker for your iPod not just for its old-fashioned looks, only it uses no power.

Through passive amplification alone, these unique pieces instantly transform any personal music player + earbuds into a sculptural audio console. Without the use of external power or batteries, the Phonofone II inventively exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to up to 55 decibels. Now let’s make this clear, 55 decibels is not going to entertain your party, but it’s fine for the office or next to the bed or or for a dinner party. Dimensions: 11″ x 9.5″ x 20″ (28 x 25 x 51 cm)

But honestly, if you want to get a great sounding set of speakers that you can crank up and rock out to, get a set of Bose.

source:charlesandmarie 

Launching iPhone GPS add-on?

Iphone

Show floor rumors from CeBIT have tipped us that Nav N Go have announced a version of its satnav software iGO MyWay 8 for the iPhone that will use an “upcoming yet to be announced iPhone GPS receiver”.

A Nav N Go representative on the stand at CeBIT who has confirmed that they have launched a version of the software for the iPhone, but was evasive about exactly how the GPS side of things works and all.

 

source:pocket-lint

New SDK details of iPhone leaked

SDK

 

According to several sources familiar with Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch software development kit (SDK) plans, the company will use a March 6 event in Cupertino, California to formally announce a number of potentially controversial limitations on application development and publishing, their comments were not for attribution, independently confirming the following details, and offering differing opinions of their importance.

 

The leaks suggest that the iTunes store will act as a hub very much like it does with podcasts allowing developers a payment metric as well as offering iPod and iPhone applications in one searchable place.

Doing it this way, claim the sites sources, will allow Apple to formally approve or deny all SDK-based software releases for its devices and in our opinion opens up the possibility of a bounty that could be added for listing the applications.

 

The story also implies that the SDK won’t give developers access to all the hardware on the iPhone and the iPod touch.

According to the report, developers won’t get access to the Dock Connector hence removing any possibility of a hardware based accessory add-on like a GPS module.

Integrated iPhone or iPod touch features such as the phone, Wi-Fi, and camera will be developer-accessible however, although Bluetooth 2.0 is also under consideration for being excluded.

Finally the article cites that the final SDK won’t be released until Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference event in San Francisco.

 

source:pocket-lint 

 

Apple iPhone SDK On March 6?

SDK

The iPhone software developers kit, promised by Apple CEO Steve Jobs for February, was delayed.

But, according to invites just issued to American technology journalists, Apple may only miss the deadline by a week.

The company are holding an event, an Apple “town hall” meeting, at its headquarters in Cupertino, under the banner “iPhone Software Roadmap” on Thursday, March 6, at 10am PST.

There are also “some exciting new enterprise features” promised, which some speculate could mean the iPhone getting corporate email friendly – an omission currently seen as one of the reasons the smartphone has not broken into the business world.

It’s not clear at this early stage if this means the SDK will be ready next week, or if Apple, sensing unease at their missed deadline, are just having the event as a holding move whilst they rush to get the job done

source:pocket-lint

Apple iPhone 1.1.4 A New Update

Iphone

Apple has released a new update for the iPhone today to version 1.1.4.

The new update, which weighs in at over 160MB does not however seem to include a Software Developers Kit as promised by Apple by the end of February.

In fact reports by users who have installed the software on the mobile phone suggest that no new features have been added with Apple citing “bug fixes” for the update.

However which bugs it fixed, Apple has not clarified.

Those keen to jailbreak the phone so they can install third party applications on it will be pleased to hear that according to Ziphone, its jailbreaking solution for firmware 1.1.3 still works on the new 1.1.4 version.

source:pocket-lint

Use Of iPods in a War Zone

Ipod

As they prepare for their daily patrols around Baghdad, soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division sync up their iPods, not with songs and movies, but with a laundry list of missions and audio files containing pre-recorded phrases in Iraqi Arabic or Kurdish.

Loaded with special software, the music players help them communicate with the populace and learn the local culture, and they occasionally serve as handy tools in their tactical missions, such as searching for persons of interest. The gadgets have been so useful that troops are now finding new ways to employ the technology.

The Army so far has purchased 300 of the Vcommunicator Mobile LC devices. Since last fall, squad leaders from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st and 4th Brigades have been using the product in Iraq.

PEO STRI plans to deploy a team to Iraq to evaluate how the devices are performing in the inhospitable environment and weather conditions.

“The nice thing is, because they’re commercial, they’re cheap to replace,” he said. Each device costs US$200 to $300.

Soldiers who are operating the iPods already have been inquiring about how to adapt the devices for other applications. One group in particular asked if it would be possible to connect the iPods to a plasma or LCD display at vehicle checkpoints so the images can be seen more clearly, said Youmans.

Bright said the company already is supplying the accessories to make that possible

This year Vcom3D plans to offer a commercial version of its software geared toward travelers, said Carol Wideman, president of the company. She said the company’s long-term goal is to make it available on the mobile device of choice.

source:technewsworld