The Associated Press have launched a localized news service for the iPhone. The system, which also works with other mobile devices, uses a ZIP code to bring stories from 107 big-name partnerships, including The Miami Herald and the San Francisco Chronicle. Supported by adverts, revenue will be shared, in part, between content providers.
National news will also be offered from AP’s sources. However the group is concentrating on local stories to differentiate it from rival aggregators such as Google News and Yahoo! News. The bulk of the content providers have signed up since AP’s first announcement of their intention, back on April 14th; then, they only had six newspaper companies on board.
The AP confirmed that they had consulted Apple on how best to tailor the service for the iPhone, but said that the company had had no “formal role” with the product. Further news content providers are apparently considering whether to participate. They include Gannett Co. and Tribune Co.
[via TechCrunch]
Written by Chris Davies on May 5th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and News and Apple iPhone and iPhone archive.
I, like plenty of other iPhone users, spend a lot of my time surfing the web. Besides my compulsive Twitter-checking/updating and Wikipedia fact-checking, it’s usually so I can get updated about what’s going on in the world. Now, the Associated Press has made that task even easier by launching an iPhone-targeted service called the Mobile News Network.
All you have to do is visit the above address and you’ll get up-to-the-minute global, national, and local news headlines in a handy, iPhone-friendly format. For local news headlines, you’ll have to enter your ZIP code, but for those who travel frequently, don’t worry: you can enter multiple ZIPs and switch between them if you want. Other categories include Sports, Business, Entertainment, and even the perpetually useful “Wacky News”—you can set which sections appears on your home screen in the settings.
The site also gives you feeds of photos and videos, displayed in iPhone-friendly formats. My only complaint is that, as streamlined as the site is, it’s still a bit heavy for your EDGE connection, taking a not insignificant amount of time to load (especially if you’re looking at media). Wi-Fi users should have better luck, though.
Will this change the way I read news on my iPhone? At the moment, I often surf to CNN if I’m looking for the latest in breaking news or Google News if I want a larger picture, so I don’t know, but I appreciate that AP acknowledging the iPhone interface, and hope that other news sources pick up on the trend.
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Written by Dan Moren on May 5th, 2008 with no comments.
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It’s that time again. Sunday morning can mean only one thing, week in review. This week has been full of 3G iPhone rumors, new software, and even a new Goldstriker iPhone. While it has not been a terribly active week for iPhone news, there is still some exciting things that have gone down. Hold tight while we update you on the last week for iPhone Buzz.
As far as software goes on the iPhone, Sun discussed porting Java to the iPhone. According to the CEO of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, Java will be in the future of the iPhone. He noted that there are no technical problems getting Java ported, however there could be some problems with Apple’s EULA. Either way, he seems optimistic about the process.
Java is not the only software related news that came about this weekend. McAfee’s anti virus software for the iPhone was leaked. At first, it seemed the software was a fake, and was not made by McAfee. It was later shown that it was software by McAfee, but it was a proof of concept. The official word is they do not yet know if they will bring this software to the iPhone. They did say they are pleased with the community reaction.
The folks at Goldstriker are up to it again. This time with a Lamborghini themed iPhone. The device itself is a 16GB iPhone, running with 1.1.4 firmware. I don’t know, I kind of like it. Maybe a little over the top, but hey, you only live once. The price tag on this special edition iPhone is just under $1500.
A image of what is rumored to be the 3G iPhone surfaced this week. The device, actually bears resemblance to the LG Vu on AT&T. The back looks very scuffed up. Why allow the hottest discussed device to get all messed up like that? It seems very unlikely, that this is the new iPhone. The photo is at the top of this post; you decide!.
It is also rumored that the specifications and dimensions of the new iPhone have been leaked to accessory manufacturers. This is not confirmed, but it is possible. It makes sense, as then the new iPhone would have all sorts of cases and accessories at launch. I guess we will know for sure when the device launches. Until then, unless a manufacturer steps up and says this is true and can prove it, this one is done.
Apple fans in Canada finally have something to get excited over. The iPhone will be making it’s way to Rogers by the end of the year. This information comes right from Ted Rogers, the president and CEO of he carrier. All that was said is “it is coming”, and to “stay tuned”. Details are very few at the moment. In reality, only Apple and Rogers know for sure.
Written by Chase Higgins on May 4th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and iPhone 3rd Party Apps and 3G iPhone and Carriers and Rogers Wireless and Featured and iPhone archive and Weekly Rewind.
McAfee’s anti virus solution for the iPhone, called Stinger, would be the first of the of it’s kind. A version of it was leaked to the public recently, and the official statement from McAfee is that the software is a proof of concept and is not ready for the public to use yet. This is very clear when you consider the application was not built with the SDK, and would have to be written over again for use on iPhones using the SDK.
Though McAfee has not announced any plans to follow through and actually get this software out the door, they are pleased with the reaction they have gotten from the iPhone community. All this means that contrary to earlier reports that said this software could be malicious, it seems that is not the case. Either way, be careful, as leaked software has a tendency to become infested with malware.
To some, it may seem that it is not necessary to have anti virus on the iPhone, or mobile phones in general for that matter. This is not true, the iPhone firmware 1.1.1 was jailbroken and subsequently unlocked thanks to an exploit, that with anti virus software may not have worked. While that was a case where the exploit was good, it could have just the same been used to execute malicious code. With mobile phones becoming more and more advanced, you will surely be seeing more of this type of software.
[Via WinAndMac]
Written by Chase Higgins on May 2nd, 2008 with no comments.
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It was just not enough to be able to use custom images as the background to your iPhone’s home screen. Well, not for the iPhone developers over at Skrew at least. They have just released an alpha version of their new application, vWallpaper. Just as the ‘v’ before ‘Wallpaper’ would have you expect, it allows you to use videos as the background to your home screen.
Ignoring the fact that your battery will most likely suffer from such an application, it looks pretty cool. It is a very early release of the application as of now, on the settings page of the application, there is a warning of it being a release for preview and and testing only. There are a few bugs that will need to be ironed out, but with a little patience, it is said to be working.
As of now, there are only two wallpapers that can be used for the background. One, is a explosion with fire balls. The other, is drops of water rippling outwards. There are some who have figured out what files and properties need to be changed to load your own video as the background. vWallpaper can be downloaded on Installer now. You will need to add the source http://i.danstaface.net to your sources list.
[Via Just Another iPhone Blog]
Written by Chase Higgins on April 28th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and iPhone 3rd Party Apps and iPhone archive.
