Bites from the Apple: The Morning After

For the second straight year, I found myself traveling on the day that the new iPhone gets unleashed, and thusly I had to live vicariously through a colleague's experiences (not that I would have been in line, as I'm sticking with my OG iPhone). Last year my pal Glenn Fleishman dutifully stood in line for the iPhone when it went on sale at 6pm, and he walked out of his selected Apple Store toting his conquest after only an hour--with 300+ people in front of him.

That was not even close to being the case this year, as Apple and AT&T switched up the activation procedure where it had to be done in-store rather than at home via iTunes. And from the sound of my pal Jeff Carlson's Twitter log, it looks like it was quite the headache (to put it in family friendly terms). After arriving an hour before the 8am opening for the great iPhone 3G dash and standing in line with 350+ people, Jeff didn't get his phone (actually, his wife's phone, as he's sticking with the OG iPhone as well) until late in the afternoon. (At least he didn't face a bomb threat.) It seems this was due to the hands-on activation process in the store as well as Apple server crashes preventing the activation process for new iPhone 3G's as well as for OG iPhones that needed re-activation after installing the iPhone 2.0 software update.

Speaking of which, the release of the iPhone 2.0 software is probably the biggest news of this week, since my OG iPhone isn't going anywhere. Thanks to MacRumors, which found a link to the software on Apple's servers, I was able to grab the software a day early and start playing in the new App Store playground. Note, however, that MacRumors is recommending that anyone who updated their OG iPhone with this unofficial download should re-restore the software with the official update found via iTunes, as it seems the leaked download is for 3G models only.

I've been loving my iPhone since I picked it up last September and felt no regrets at dumping the Treo 680 that I'd bought unlocked just a few months previous to that. But with the addition of native applications, I'm loving my iPhone even more as it starts to truly become the computing platform that it's promised to be since it was announced. I started out slow with free downloads of social networking and messaging apps like AIM, Facebook, and Twitterific (note that app links require iTunes). But I'm looking forward to adding the NetNewsWire RSS reader and Todo, which can hook into my Remember the Milk Pro online task list (though I'm hoping an app gets released that works directly with the task management in my Mac's iCal software). And sadly (for my personal productivity), Bejeweled is also available--it will take all my will not to download that one. Let's take a look at what others have spelunked from the App Store...

• The earth2tech blog found several apps that can help you track your gas mileage and graph performance--something quite handy as we head into a new era of high gas prices.

• The popular Pandora personalized online radio service has been ported to an iPhone app, and Wired's Listening Post notes it even streams over EDGE networks.

• TUAW rounds up a couple of app gems including File Magnet, which allows you to transfer files to and from your Mac (Leopard only) from your iPhone or iPod Touch over Wi-Fi.

• Apple also released Remote, a free goodie for all the good iPhone fanboys/girls, which adds an interface for controlling your computer's iTunes or an AppleTV that is nearly identical to the iPod interface on the iPhone (via BoingBoing Gadgets)

• My other handheld gaming obsession looks to be fulfilled by Aki Mahjong from Ambrosia Software, which also released solitair and sudoku apps (via MacNN)

• While not in the initial release of the App Store, it looks like TeleNav will be coming out with an iPhone app for turn-by-turn voice navigation, despite a clause in Apple's iPhone Developer's contract that prohibits sophisticated navigation software other than its own (via MacNN).

• Though it's not an iPhone app, it's good to note that Ambrosia has also released the latest version of its iToner software, compatible with iTunes 7.7 and iPhone Software 2.0, which allows you to create custom ringtones for your iPhone without having to purchase them from the iTunes Store (via Ars Technica)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Comments

[huh on July 13, 2008 at 01:55 PM]

People have issues at the Apple stores because they are not using the same applications that At&t are using. Would you trust an Apple employee activating a phone? At&t's system is made to fix any problems that occur. Most At&t stores will have plenty of phones in stock!