Tag Archives: iPhone

[Pre] Palm Allows Distribution of WebOS Apps outside App Catalog

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In contrast to Apple’ AppStore, Palm today announced, they will also allow distribution of Palm Pre applications outside of Palm’s App Catalog.

The WebOS developer program will officially start in december 2009 for an annual fee of 100US$. The annual fee does not apply for open source applications, as they will be taken into the App Catalog and distributed for free.

For commercial apps aswell as Apple with their AppStore, Palm with their App Catalog will charge 30%, while 70% will go back to the developer.

[iPhone] Flash coming to iPhone / No Flash Player for Safari

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Although Apple still does not allow plugins for their iPhone Safari browser, Adobe will bring Flash on the iPhone using a different strategy.

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 will have an export for iPhone apps. Thus allowing games and application built using Flash being compiled natively for the iPhone and being distributed via AppStore.

Sadly Adrian Ludwig clearly says in the video

“On the iPhone we don’t have a browser plugin. Flash Player 10.1 isn’t available.”

This means in contrast to the Palm Pre, Apple’s iPhone will still not be able to run Flash based internet pages.

Video is courtesy of Golem.de News

» Adobe’s Flash for iPhone info page…
» Golem.de News: “Adobe bringt Flash-Applicationen aufs iPhone” (german)…

[Pre] Palm Pre to Ship with Adobe Flash Soon (Upd.)

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Adobe released a video yesterday featuring the Palm Pre running Adobe Flash. Adrian Ludwig from Adobe Labs shows websites running with Flash Player 10.1 beta on the semi-official iPhone challenger Palm Pre.

In their official press statement Adobe say

“A public developer beta of the browser-based runtime is expected to be available for Windows® Mobile, Palm® webOS and desktop operating systems including Windows, Macintosh and Linux later this year.”

Developers may sign up for notification about the Adobe Flash beta for the Palm Pre.

Interestingly neither this statement nor the statement on Adobe Labs include a single word about Apple’s iPhone or the iPhone OS X. Could this mean Flash will not come anytime soon to the iPhone?

While letting those rumors dwell, enjoy the Palm Pre video featuring Adobe Flash…


The Video is courtesy by Adobe 2009.

» Adobe’s press statement on BusinessWire.com…
» Adobe’s statement on Adobe Labs…
» Adobe Flash for Palm Pre notification registration…
» Adobe TV featuring the Palm Pre (currently unavailable)…

[Pre] Marry me again: WebOS 1.2.1 syncs to iTunes 9.01

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A couple of days after their latest release of WebOS 1.2 Palm released WebOS 1.2.1. Now the Palm Pre is again synchronizing with Apple’s iTunes 9.0.1. Since iTunes version 8.2.1 with every update Apple is trying to stop Palm from syncing their Pre with iTunes. As we’ve seen in the past, all those attempts by Apple don’t last long. According to Precentral.net the Palm Pre uses Apple’s USB idVendor string to fool iTunes into thinking the Palm Pre is an iPod.

The WebOS 1.2.1 update features:

  • sync photo albums with iTunes
  • reducing size of photos on the Pre
  • bugfix for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 sync

The update is 38MBybte in size and will be transmitted automatically on the Pre – at least in the USA.

[Pre] Palm Pre Hacked to Support Video Recording

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PreCentral reports that some devs managed to run a video recording software on Palm’s new flagship Pre. The software currently only supports 320 x 480 as resolution with 30fps.

But as the Pre supports up to 720×480 there is hope that we will soon seen DVD like recordings just from the Pre. The video format seems currently only badly formatted, that is why people recommend using VLC to play it.

[Pre] Palm Pre Release Date for Germany

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October 13th will be the day many people have been waiting for. The official iPhone competitor by Palm will be released in Germany. The Pre will be exclusively available from O2 Germany.

According to their latest information the Palm Pre will also be available without subscription for about 480€ (=700US$). There is currently no information about upcoming special Palm Pre O2 tariffs.

In Great Britain and Ireland the Pre will be released on october 16th.

In contrast to T-Mobile’s german iPhone tariffs, O2 Germany is gonna allow VoIP applications like Sipgate or Skype (via german Heise.de News).

[News] Apple Bar Palm Pre from Syncing with iTunes

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With the latest update of iTunes 8.2.1 Apple eventually blocks Palm Pre users from syncing with iTunes. It seems Palm knew very carefully how to emulate the iPod verification protocol of iTunes. How comes?

Some major Palm Guys are former major Apple Guys

One could ask Palm’s CEO Jon Rubinstein, or Palm’s SVP of Product Development Mike Bell, or Palm’s spokeswoman Lynn Fox. As all of these three guys are former Apple guys. Rubinstein was Apple’s architect of the iTunes-iPod concept, Mike Bell was the Vice President of the Mac Hardware Division, and Lynn Fox was Head of PR at Apple.

Anyway Apple now decided to fix this issue and bar Palm Pre users from using iTunes for syncing. But what looks like a simple update in the first place may be viewed as a strategic answer to Palm’s boldness to make the Pre pretend being an iPod for iTunes.

Some Technical Aspects

According to DVD Jon the iPod emulation was not too complicated. Palm needed to emulate

  • the USB interface so that it responds with Apple’s Vendor ID and an iPod Product ID
  • the structure of an iPod filesystem
  • some XML info about the iPod device using a custom Apple USB command

But the the root USB node (IOUSBDevice) still identified the emulated iPod as a Palm Pre (find more details here).

David vs. Goliath

Does Apple fear Palm here? It seems like Palm is putting Apple under some pressure here. The Palm Pre is widely considered as the only real iPhone competitor and allowing it to sync with iTunes would make it more favourable for users who don’t like the proprietory iPhone concept. On the other hand Apple’s step to block it from iTunes again makes the iPhone and iPods the only choice for iTunes users. Anyway it shows obviously that a little fight is going on between Apple and Palm. This topic is under hot discussion on the PreCentral site.

Palm’s spokeswoman Lynn Fox just responded to Apple’s step “Palm’s media sync works with iTunes 8.2. If Apple chooses to disable media sync in iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we can consider.”

[Pre] Palm Pre Goes Europe

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There have been rumors in the last weeks which carrier which offer the Palm Pre in European countries. As of today we know the rumors were true. In Germany, Great Britain, Ireland O2 will be the exclusive distributor of Palm’s new flagship, in Spain the iPhone competitor will be offered by Movistar.

As of now other European carriers seem to be in negotiations with Palm for exclusive distribution. There are no information yet about subscription prices. According to the O2’s german Preregistration site introduction to the german market is planned for october 2009.

» German 02 preregistration for the Palm Pre…

[iPhone] Activate MMS on iPhone 2G? (Update)

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Update July 04, 2009: MMS now works, MMS server settings are getting saved with the help of some (more or less complicated) tricks. We’re currently prepping a fool proof step-by-step tutorial for all of you. We recommend to not play around with those settings at the moment to not screw up settings worse. Tutorial will be up on Monday. Please wait until then. Thanks for your attention.

Update July 05, 2009: Wanna know how to enable MMS on iPhone 2G? Find our definitive MMS on iPhone 2G HowTo here…

Abstract

Since SwirlyMMS has been released last year we know the iPhone 2G is capable to send MMS. Anyway with their newest update Apple makes MMS available only for 3G and 3Gs customers. They say it is hardware related. This is not the case.

What has been found

It was quite logical that some people would be starting to investigate and research into the MMS feature sooner or later. Now an application has been released through Cydia that claims to unlock MMS capability for the iPhone 2G. It is called ActivateMMS2G and it is distributed on the iSpazio repository. Anyway we recommend not to install it as of now. to read our definitive MMS on iPhone 2G HowTo here.

Current Status

The status is almost alpha. Most forum reports indicate these issues:

  • MMS settings are not getting stored if they differ from the EDGE settings (occurs on any iPhone)
  • iPhone does not restart (rarely reported)
  • Camera symbol is not shown in Messages.app (often reported)

Our Recommendation

Don’t misunderstand us, but this is deeply alpha. If you really want MMS on your iPhone 2g, get yourself SwirlyMMS. It is much safer than tempering with ported hacks from 3G iPhones to 2G iPhones. SwirlyMMS is currently getting ported to iPhone OS 3.0. then follow our definitive MMS on iPhone 2G HowTo here.

[iPhone] HowTo Jailbreak and Unlock using RedSn0w

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I. Abstract

The following article will show you how to install firmware 3.0 on your iPhone 2G by also allowing to jailbreak, activate and eventually to unlock (JAU process). At the moment of writing this article is for Mac OS X users with iPhone 2G’s only.

II. Who needs this article?

We suppose 50% of all 2G users around the globe. As iPhone 2G’s were sold almost everywhere with Sim-Lock enabled (besides some T-Mobile Germany or Orange France unlocked 2G’s).

III. Warning

You’d better read all of this in detail before you do anything practically! If you feel there is something you don’t understand or something you will not be able to handle, then go and ask someone who is in the know.

!!!!!!!! Otherwise your devices may be terribly screwed up! !!!!!!!

IV. Required Downloads

Download these tiny things first:

» RedSn0w for Mac OS X…
» iPhone OS 3.0 for iPhone 2G…
» if you are using an iPhone 2G: get Bootloader 3.9 and 4.6…

RedSn0w is almost the same as QuickPwn was in the ancient days of iPhone firmware 2.x

V. Preparing for Take off

  1. you need to have iPhone OS 3.0 already installed / updated /restored via iTunes
  2. install RedSn0w
  3. start RedSn0w
    redsn0w 1.png
  4. Browse to the downloaded restore firmware (iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw)
  5. Wait for the firmware to be checked
    redsn0w 2.png

    redsn0w 3.png
  6. Click Next
  7. Wait for the firmware to be modified
    redsn0w 4.png
  8. Select Install Cydia (and Unlock if you are using an iPhone 2G. If you are using an iPhone 3G, don’t select to unlock, since it will not work this way)
    redsn0w 5.png
  9. Click Next
  10. Browse for the Bootloaders you downloaded
    redsn0w 6.png
  11. Click Next
  12. Turn your iPhone off
    redsn0w 7.png
  13. Turn iTunes off

VI. Fasten your seat belts // Get into DFU mode

  1. Click Next
  2. bring out beloved jesus phone into DFU mode
  3. RedSn0w guides you thru the required steps (anyway this may take several repetitions as this is not as easy as some people write on the net!)

VII. Ignition sequence start

  1. the uploaded modified ramdisk will do all the required stuff
  2. to indicate what is going on your iPhone will show some nice pictures like this:
    restoring.jpg
  3. don’t disturb the process
  4. instead: relax and get yourself a good drink or a cigarette
  5. as this may take some minutes

VIII. Possible issues

Although we haven’t been reported any yet, this doesn’t mean there can’t go something wrong. If you run into problems, try:

  • restoring original unmodified 3.0 firmware from within iTunes 8.2
  • make sure you installed firmware 3.0 with iTunes 8.2
  • generate a custom pre-hacked ipsw using PwnageTool (find article here)

IX. Kudos

Fly out to the iPhone Dev Team. You guys should get paid by Apple…