iLounge

Apple has quietly rolled out its new iTunes Preview feature, letting both iTunes and non-iTunes users browse the iTunes Store’s music catalog without needing to launch the iTunes application itself. Currently accessible from Apple’s online iTunes Charts or via direct iTunes Store links, the Preview pages include track listings, user reviews, and related links, although ironically users can’t actually preview songs from within the browser-based interface. It’s unclear whether Apple plans to expand this functionality to TV Shows, Movies, and Apps listings, as well. [via Macworld UK]

Panasonic has introduced its new MW-10 audio system for the iPod. Unlike past iPod audio systems from Panasonic, the MW-10 combines an audio system with a Universal iPod Dock and photo frame. Features include a built-in CD player, FM/AM radio tuner, a bamboo cone speaker, D.Bass processing, an SD card slot, a nine-inch LCD that can display photos from a CD, SD card, or from the 4GB of internal memory, a variety of other display options, including a clock and iPod track menu, calendar and photos, clock and photos, and audio and calendar, and an included remote control. Panasonic’s MW-10 audio system will be available in December and will sell for $300.

Apple has said that it plans to open between 40 and 50 new stores in 2010, with more than half those located outside the United States in countries including Canada, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and China. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is also planning to focus on building more “significant,” or flagship, stores in major cities, as they are the company’s top retail revenue generators. “Other retailers call them flagship stores. We don’t use that word,” Apple senior vice president of Retail Ron Johnson said when explaining the “significant store” terminology. Highlighting Apple’s new Upper West Side store in NYC, set to open Saturday morning, the report adds that more significant stores are planned for spring or early summer openings in London, Paris, and Shanghai. Johnson also said that new stores will be larger than the majority of existing stores, to accomodate more product displays and larger Genius Bars. “Our stores are too small,” he explained. “Our biggest challenge at the Genius Bar — we cannot build them big enough.”

PhoneSuit has unveiled its new Primo Micro Battery Pack for the iPod and iPhone. Both “Made for iPod” and “Works With iPhone” certified, the Primo features a compact design, meant to connect and hang from the connected iPod’s or iPhone’s Dock Connector port. It contains an 800mAh lithium-ion battery, good for up to 45 additional hours of iPod nano audio playback or 3 hours of 3G talk time on the iPhone 3G or 3GS; the Primo also features a miniUSB port and included cord for recharging and a front-mounted LED battery charge meter. Available in white or black, PhoneSuit’s Primo Micro Battery Pack for the iPod and iPhone can be pre-ordered now and is expected to begin shipping on November 23 for $35.

According to the latest data from research firm Gartner, Apple accounted for 17% of worldwide smartphone sales in the third quarter. Apple’s market share trailed only that of BlackBerry maker RIM, with nearly 21%, and Nokia, with 39.3%—an all-time low for the Finnish company. Apple’s 17% share is a substantial improvement over the year-ago quarter, in which it accounted for only 12.9%. In addition, Gartner says that iPhone sales in the fourth quarter “should be even stronger as Apple starts selling in China, through one additional carrier in the UK, and in an additional 16 countries.” Overall, smartphone sales continued to increase, growing 13% in the third quarter.

Incase has introduced its new Topo Frame Case for the second- and third-generation iPod touch. The Topo Frame is a hybrid combining a lightweight hardshell back panel and flex-fit, injection-molded edges for a secure, protective fit and added grip. Other features include Incase’s topography graphic on the rear, integrated, push-through covers for the volume and sleep/wake buttons, and open access to the Home button, screen, Dock connector, and headphone port. Incase’s Topo Frame Case for the iPod touch 2G and 3G is available now in blue, pink, or black, and sells for $30.

The winners of our Sonix3 Earphone Giveaway have just been announced. In the giveaway, 10 iLounge readers won a pair of Sonix3 Earphones from Lenntek. Congratulations to all the winners! Don’t forget to enter our CES Exhibits Plus Pass Giveaway, our Giveaway of the Month for November.

iLounge is pleased to announce the CES Exhibits Plus Pass Giveaway. In our Giveaway of the Month for November, iLounge and CEA are giving away CES Exhibits Plus passes to 100 lucky readers. The pass will allow access to all exhibits, TechZones, SuperSessions, and keynote addresses at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including the all new iLounge Pavilion. To enter, simply fill out and submit the form on the giveaway page—the giveaway will end on November 30, 2009 at 11:59PM Pacific Time. Good luck!

Joe Hewitt, the leading developer behind the official Facebook application for the iPhone and iPod touch, and iLounge’s Editors’ and Readers’ Choice for iPod/iPhone Application Developer of the Year, has announced that he will no longer be involved in iPhone development due to Apple’s review policies. Hewitt, who is quitting only iPhone development, and not Facebook, revealed his decision last night via Twitter, saying, “Time for me to try something new. I’ve handed the Facebook iPhone app off to another engineer, and I’m onto a new project.”

In a more lengthy interview with TechCrunch, Hewitt explained why he decided to abandon iPhone development. “My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies,” Hewitt said. “I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process. I am very concerned that they are setting a horrible precedent for other software platforms, and soon gatekeepers will start infesting the lives of every software developer.” Discussing his future, he added, “The web is still unrestricted and free, and so I am returning to my roots as a web developer. In the long term, I would like to be able to say that I helped to make the web the best mobile platform available, rather than being part of the transition to a world where every developer must go through a middleman to get their software in the hands of users.”

Mac-focused security software developer Intego has posted a security memo warning of a new piece of malware targeting jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches. According to the post, the software, identified as iPhone/Privacy.A, uses the same vulnerability as the “rickroll” worm from earlier this week, attacking devices which have been jailbroken and had SSH activated without the owners changing the default password. However, unlike past hacks, which were mostly harmless, this new tool allows a hacker to silently copy a multitude of data from the compromised device, including e-mail, contacts, SMSs, calendars, photos, music files, videos, and any data recorded by any iPhone app. It also leaves no indication that the device has been compromised, since it doesn’t actually install anything on the iPhone or iPod touch, instead working from a PC, scanning the connected network for possible marks and copying their data when discovered.

Griffin Technology has announced a partnership with textile designer Chilewich l Sultan in which the two companies will work together to create a new line of co-branded Griffin + Chilewich accessories. The first fruit of the collaboration is the new Elan Form Chilewich case for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. This new case maintains the two-piece, EasyDock design, polycarbonate construction, and open access to all ports and controls of the original, but adds an outer layer of Sandy Chilewich’s woven vinyl textiles. Currently available in light grey or gravel, the Elan Form Chilewich sells for $40.

Apple has passed Nokia to become the world’s most profitable handset manufacturer, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics. In the third quarter of 2009, Strategy Analytics estimates Apple’s operating profit for its iPhone handset division to be $1.6 billion, with Nokia reaching only $1.1 billion of operating profit over the same time period. Alex Spektor, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “With strong volumes, high wholesale prices and tight cost controls, the PC vendor has successfully broken into the mobile phone market in just two years.” Neil Mawston, director of the Wireless Device Strategies service at Strategy Analytics, believes that Nokia must do better in the U.S. market if it wishes to recover, adding, “A successful fight on Apple’s high-profit home turf can simultaneously help to revitalize Nokia’s margins and to put a check on Apple’s surging growth.”

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said he doesn’t like attempts to paint Apple and his company as rivals. As the article states, Iwata is an Apple fan himself, carrying an iPhone and using a Mac laptop on a regular basis. He claims the two companies appeal to different consumers, and says that attempts to create a rivalry make him “uncomfortable.” Despite Iwata’s claims, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller made direct comparisons between the iPod touch and Nintendo’s DS, as well as the Sony PSP, during the company’s rock and roll media event in September, stating that while the latter two “seemed so cool” at first, they now “don’t stack up” to the touch or iPhone.

Nintendo recently announced a 52% drop in profit for the first half of its fiscal year, citing lagging sales of its Wii and DS consoles, and also predicted that its annual profit would fall year-over-year for the first time in six years. “If we can’t make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark,” Iwata said at a recent company event. Industry analysts also believe Nintendo may be in trouble due to increasing competition from Apple, with research firm DFC Intelligence expecting revenue from iPod touch and iPhone game to rise from $46 million in 2008 to more than $2.8 billion in 2014, while revenue from dedicated gaming devices is expected to shrink 27% over the same time period. Nintendo will launch a new version of its DS handheld, the DSi LL, in Japan on Nov. 21. It will sell for 20,000 yen, or roughly $222.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment, in collaboration with Deluxe Digital Studios, has released pocket BLU, a new application for the iPhone and iPod touch. Beginning with the Blu-ray edition of Bruno and continuing on for Blu-ray releases of films such as Funny People, Public Enemies, and Inglorious Basterds, iPhone and iPod touch users will be able to interact with new and upcoming Universal Blu-ray releases using the pocket BLU app. Features of the app, which uses a Wi-Fi connection to communicate with a networked Blu-ray player, include an on-screen remote that allows for menu navigation, playback and BD-Live control, a video timeline—accessed by rotating the device—which allows users to instantly access any point in the movie, the ability to unlock a selection of bonus “Mobile-To-Go” content to be saved or streamed to the device, and a pop-up keyboard for entering text. This follows Universal’s earlier foray into added Blu-ray content for iPhone and iPod touch users. Universal’s pocket BLU application is available now as a free download from the App Store; the first compatible Blu-ray disc will be released November 17.

This week’s featured photo is from our iPhones Around the World gallery, and shows an original iPhone overlooking the Yangtze River from a trail on the Tiger Leaping Gorge in southwestern China. To share your photos and to be considered for our Photo of the Week, you simply need to submit your own photo to one of our galleries. So get out there, take some pictures with your iPod or iPhone, and maybe your submission will be our next Photo of the Week!

Dual Electronics has introduced its new GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle for the iPod touch. The combination battery pack and GPS add-on offers a built-in GPS receiver, a rechargeable battery, an amplified speaker, audio output, and a mini-USB port for charging. Also included in the package is an adjustable windshield mount and Dual’s NavAtlas turn-by-turn navigation app with TTS technology and up-to-date U.S. and Canadian maps from Navteq. Dual’s GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle for iPod touch will be available later this month and will sell for $180.

Conor Maples, a communications employee with Orange UK, has revealed via a Twitter update that the company has sold more than 30,000 iPhones on launch day. “Orange UK had sold more than 30k iPhones,smashing what we believe is the previously published first day sales records for a phone in the UK,” the posting reads. As Mac Rumors notes, it is unclear what previous first-day sales records Orange is referring to, as O2 is not believed to have revealed specific sales numbers for its launch of the original iPhone in November 2007. Orange is the second carrier to offer the iPhone in the UK behind O2; Vodafone has announced plans to begin offering the handset early next year.

Sparkz has introduced its new Mini Projector for the iPod and iPhone. Sporting a white, round design, the Mini Projector features a 3M projector and focus adjustment wheel on the front, control buttons, A/V and VGA inputs, a headphone jack, and power input on the rear, and a universal iPod/iPhone dock on the top. It also offers built-in stereo speakers, a lithium-polymer battery good for 2.5 hours of operation, resolution of up to 1024x768, a maximum brightness of 15 lumens, and an included tripod for stable mounting. The Sparkz Mini Projector for iPod and iPhone is available now and sells for $495.

Caze has introduced its new Zero 5 UltraThin case for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Made from translucent polycarbonate, the Zero 5 offers a maximum thickness of just 0.5mm, open access to all ports and controls, and partial protection for the iPhone’s chrome bezel. In addition, the case includes both mirror and anti-smudge screen protectors and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Available in black (smoke) or clear, Caze’s Zero 5 UltraThin case for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is available now and sells for $20.

Shazam, a popular music identification service for the iPhone and iPod touch, is splitting its single app into two separate applications. The free Shazam application will now limit new users to five song IDs per month; current users will retain the ability to tag as many songs as they like. For users looking for a more comprehensive identification solution, the company’s new Shazam Encore application offers faster, unlimited tags, the ability to add location data to tags, the ability to search Shazam’s music charts—based on other user’s requests—and the service’s music database, a new drive and tag mode that will continuously monitor and tag new songs playing over a car’s stereo while charging, the ability to store music info when offline for later identification, and more. Shazam Encore is available now and sells for $5.