iLounge

For the first time ever, Apple is emailing Click Wheel iPod users who purchased Spore Origins to notify them of an updated version, which is automatically added to the user’s iTunes Store download queue. The email reads, “The iPod Click Wheel game “Spore Origins” you recently purchased may not function properly on your iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod classic, or iPod (5th generation). We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase, so we have placed an updated version of “Spore Origins” in your download queue.” Spore Origins was pulled from the iTunes Store shortly after its release due to a bug that caused the game to lock up on iPod classic and some fifth-generation iPod models; the game has since been updated and is once again available on the iTunes Store.

Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest cellular operator, has become the country’s third carrier to announce that it has reached an agreement with Apple to offer the iPhone in Russia. “Sales of iPhones in Russia will start this year,” the company said in a statement. Rival carriers MegaFon and Vimpelcom have also announced they will begin sales of the handset later this year.

A third lawsuit has been filed against Apple and AT&T accusing the companies of misrepresenting iPhone 3G speeds and network performance and failing to disclose “defective” third-party apps on the App Store. Relying in part on Internet reports as proof, plaintiff Eulardi Tanseco claims that Apple and AT&T violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, its Uniform Commercial Code and the terms of its contract by knowingly advertising service they couldn’t maintain. The suit is seeking class action status, and is asking for both compensation and punitive damages.

Apple has rejected a new app called Pull My Finger, not on the grounds that it was potentially offensive, but instead for its “limited utility.” MacRumors reports that the developer was informed by Apple that the “application is of limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community, and will not be published to the App Store.” Apple went on to suggest that the developer could distribute the app to friends and family via Ad Hoc methods. The developer has posted a demonstration video of the app to YouTube.

Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo remains interested in offering the iPhone, according to a statement from a company executive. “It’s not that we’ve given up. We just want the right condition to sell it,” said Hiroshi Matsui, senior executive vice president of NTT DoCoMo. Last December, the carrier confirmed it was in talks with Apple to carry the iPhone; rival carrier SoftBank launched the iPhone 3G in Japan on July 11.

A page on its company website has revealed that Turkcell plans to begin selling the iPhone 3G in Turkey on September 26. The carrier announced in August that it would offer the iPhone 3G in Turkey later this year; details on pricing and plan offerings have yet to be announced.

I-Play and iWin have announced that Jewel Quest II is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Continuing the Jewel Quest franchise, the tile-matching puzzle game features over 50 new puzzles, a new storyline, and new game mechanics optimized for the iPhone OS platform. Jewel Quest II is available now on the App Store and sells for $9.

Russian mobile carrier MegaFon has announced that it will begin selling the iPhone 3G in Russia later this year, becoming the second carrier in the country to do so. Last week Vimpelcom announced that it too will begin selling the device later this year; prior reports had suggested that all three of the major Russian carriers — Vimpelcom, MegaFon, and MTS — would offer the device.

Negotiations between Apple and China Mobile have reached the “final stages,” according to Chinese state media. The two companies are likely to conclude the talks soon, the 21 Century Business Herald reported, citing unnamed sources. Following the appearance of that report, China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou made a statement regarding the negotiations. He said, “Both Mr. Steve Jobs and myself hope the Apple iPhone can enter China as soon as possible. We are discussing this issue, but we haven’t got an agreement.” [via Apple 2.0]

Northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol plans to release an interactive album booklet for A Hundred Million Suns on the iPhone and iPod touch ahead of the album’s release next month. It is currently unclear whether the booklet, which will include extra content like artwork and lyrics, will be a web-based application or be available through the App Store. “It will be an interactive element; a digital booklet that will take you into the videos and content,” said Polydor product manager Liz Goodwin. “For fans it will be a real must-have, and the fact that they are the first band to do this gives us an additional angle for exposure.”

Appliance maker Gorenje has signed an agreement with Apple to use their technology in building a new Made for iPod-certified refrigerator/freezer. Made for use with the iPod touch, the fridge has a front-mounted iPod dock and built-in speakers for playback that also charges the iPod while connected. In addition, the company has created the iPhone and iPod touch-optimized iGorenje portal, which allows the user to browse and view recipes in either text or video format, and can also work in conjunction with other Gorenje appliances to control tasks like cooking (tap the “Start” button on a recipe to make the oven turn on and go to the correct temperature and settings) and laundry.

Vimpelcom, the second-largest carrier in Russia, has announced that it has signed a distribution deal with Apple to sell the iPhone 3G in Russia. “Vimpelcom announced today it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring iPhone 3G to Russia, expected later this year,” the company said in a statement. Last week it was reported that all three major Russian carriers, MTS, Vimpelcom, and MegaFon, has signed iPhone deals with Apple; Vimpelcom is the first to make an official statement confirming an agreement.

More labels are considering keeping new release albums off iTunes in a bid to increase full album sales, according to a Wall Street Journal report. iTunes policies prevent artists from selling their music in full album format only, requiring songs to be sold as singles, on which they see less profit. The article points to Warner Music Group, which kept Kid Rock’s latest album “Rock ‘n Roll Jesus” off iTunes and has seen sales increase in 19 of the past 22 weeks, recently pulled an album by R&B singer Estelle from the iTunes Store the same week that one of its songs entered iTunes’ top 10 best-selling list.

Bloomberg News inadvertently published a pre-written obituary for Apple CEO Steve Jobs, only to retract it a short time later. While the lengthy document contains little to no new information on Jobs, it discusses various people that the organization would contact for comment, and highlights a number of career and personal events. Gawker has saved and reprinted it in its entirety. It is quite common for major publications to have obituaries on hand for high-profile people such as business leaders and politicians; thus, the appearance of the obituary likely has little to do with recent concerns of Jobs’ health.

Flickr user and iPhone 3G owner eastrain has posted an interesting series of photographs taken with an iPhone camera that has been modded to change its focus for more up-close photography. Explains eastrain, “Both iPhone models have the same style generic mobile phone camera module with a screw style focus adjustment which has been glued at infinity in the factory. Once you break this glue, you can turn the lens counterclockwise to bring the focus closer.” Note that attempting to modify the iPhone in this way will likely void any remaining warranty with Apple.

The iTunes Store is once again accessible from within China after a being blocked by the Chinese government’s firewall last week. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that while the bulk of the service is now available, the page for the pro-Tibet album Songs for Tibet remains blocked, suggesting that last week’s blockage was in fact related to the album.

NextWorth, a consumer electronics upgrade and trade-in company, has announced its new trade-in service for the original iPhone. NextWorth is offering customers up to $200 for an original 8GB iPhone in “light wear” condition and $300 for 16GB models; trade-ins for more heavily worn or broken iPhones will be accepted as well, with prices adjusted dynamically according to market conditions. For more information on the iPhone trade-in program, visit nextworth.com.

iPhone developer Noah Witherspoon has announced that he will be pulling his Tris game from the App Store on Wednesday, due to a complaint from The Tetris Company. Witherspoon says he was contacted by Apple about a complaint from The Tetris Company over Tris, which is based on Tetris, and only pulled the game because Apple told him it would “take action” of its own if he didn’t resolve the “dispute.” The developer adds that he will be pursuing a solution to the issue, and hopes to make the game available again sometime in the future.

Kelly Blue Book has announced the launch of its new website optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch. The web app will allow users to access new and used vehicle information, view videos, images, and new car reviews, and submit free dealer price quotes. Kelly Blue Book’s iPhone mobile site can be accessed by visiting kbb.com from any iPhone or iPod touch.

Movie-focused social network site Flixster has acquired the popular iPhone and iPod touch movie application Movies (formerly Movies.app) and has re-released the application on the App Store. According to TechCrunch, the application was created by Carnegie Mellon sophomore Jeffrey Grossman, and has been downloaded 250,000 times. Grossman will join Flixster as an consultant while attending school.

T-Mobile has announced that it has sold more than 120,000 iPhone 3Gs since the device went on sale July 11. “Our (sales) expectations were surpassed,” said Deutsche Telekom chief Hamid Akhavan, noting that it has sold 75,000 units in Germany alone. T-Mobile also offers the iPhone in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Croatia.

In response to recent reports of iPhone 3G reception problems, Swedish newspaper The Gothenburg Post had the device’s antenna tested against those of the Sony Ericsson P1 and Nokia N73. The test, performed by Bluetest, a company that produces cellular testing chambers, showed that while the P1 and N73 were better at receiving and sending signals, respectively, the differences between them were small, suggesting that the iPhone 3G’s antenna is not to blame for current reception difficulties. “The values are completely normal,” said Magnus Franzén, an antenna engineer with an M.Sc. in Engineering Physics.

Wired has posted the results of its informal iPhone 3G speed survey, which found that 3G connection speeds varied by region. European T-Mobile users reported the fastest speeds, averaging 1,882 Kbps, followed by Rogers and Fido in Canada, with an average of 1,330 Kbps. AT&T in the U.S., Telstra, Telia, and Softbank tied for third, with average download speeds of roughly 990 Kpbs. More than 2,600 users participated in the survey.

Popular Mechanics has posted an interesting DIY article explaining how to build an waterproof iPod video boombox. Cobbled together from a variety of products, the final solution includes parts from a Memorex iFlip video player, an Apple composite video cable, a watertight hard camera case, and a set of portable speakers.

Casio has announced two new pocket-sized digital cameras which record iTunes-compatible H.264 video. The EX-Z300 and EX-Z250 also offer 4x optical zoom lenses, 10.1 and 9.1 megapixel sensors, and will be available in October for $300 and $250, respectively. For more information on Casio’s iTunes-compatible cameras, see our review of the Casio Exilim EX-S10.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that some users attempting to access the iTunes Store from locations in China are being blocked by the country’s government-run firewall. The report suggests that the blockage may have been related to Olympic athletes downloading and listening to the pro-Tibet album Songs for Tibet, which was made available on the iTunes Store three days prior to the start of the games. However, it is against the iTunes Store’s sales policy to “use or attempt to use the iTunes Store from outside of the available territory.”

Apple did try to improve 3G performance with iPhone Software 2.0.2, according to a new report from USA Today. Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock told the paper, “[t]he software update improves communication with 3G networks,” although some users have reported decreased reception and other problems after installing the update.

A Mac Rumors forum member has reportedly found a number of photos on his new iPhone from inside the factory in which it was made. UK-based Mark claims that one of the four pictures found on the phone was set as the background once he activated the device. This is at least the second report of an iPhone user finding photos from inside the factory on his/her new phone.

SoftBank Mobile, currently the only carrier offering the iPhone in Japan, added more subscribers in July than any other Japanese telecom, in part due to the launch of the iPhone. Tech-On reports that competing carrier KDDI had more cancellations with mobile number portability (MNP) than subscriptions with MNP for the first time in July, with cancellations temporarily increasing following the iPhone’s launch. “SoftBank’s other handsets might have drawn interest in the wake of the iPhone’s release as well,” a KDDI spokesperson said. “We are, however, not sure if the impact will continue from now.” By comparison, SoftBank posted a net growth of 52,000 subscriptions, with the company stating that “[w]e believe our large net growth was an iPhone effect.”

The iPhone continues to be the most used cameraphone, according to monthly statistics from photo sharing site Flickr. After gaining the lead, and then briefly losing it to the rival Nokia N95, the iPhone has once again taken the lead in cameraphone use, possibly propelled by sales of the iPhone 3G. The site’s Apple camera page (the company previously made a line of QuickTake digital cameras) shows that in a little more than a year, over 3.3 million photos have been uploaded from iPhones, with 1,298 average daily users. [via TUAW]

Apple products, in particular the iPhone, are drawing increased attention from hackers as they gain in popularity worldwide, according to an AFP report. “There are more eyes looking over Apple products for vulnerabilities,” security vulnerability analyst Cameron Hotchkies said in an interview at the annual DefCon hacker conference. Hotchkies pointed to the soon-after-release “jailbreaking” of the iPhone 3G as an example, saying “it shows people are getting proficient at analyzing Apple software.” “There are people looking at the iPhone. We pass vulnerabilities on to vendors, and when I communicate with Apple the first thing they ask is if we’ve tested it on the iPhone. They don’t want to be surprised,” Hotchkies added.

A configuration file discovered during a forensic examination of the iPhone 3G suggests that Apple may have the ability to disable unauthorized or malicious iPhone applications already installed on the device. Jonathan Zdziarski, member of the unofficial iPhone Dev Team and author of at least two iPhone books, found the file, along with a remote URL that Apple is using to keep a list of unauthorized apps. Zdziarski says, “This suggests that the iPhone calls home once in a while to find out what applications it should turn off. At the moment, no apps have been blacklisted, but by all appearances, this has been added to disable applications that the user has already downloaded and paid for, if Apple so chooses to shut them down. I discovered this doing a forensic examination of an iPhone 3G. It appears to be tucked away in a configuration file deep inside CoreLocation.” Currently no applications are listed in the file; it remains unclear whether Apple will use this list for remote deactivation of truly malicious apps, or for a more broad range of apps it deems unfit for use/sale.

Update: Daring Fireball’s John Gruber suggests that given the file is hidden in CoreLocation, this is most likely a blacklist for “preventing any listed apps from accessing Core Location,” as opposed to a list for complete disabling of apps.

A new Apple patent application suggests that the company may be working on a way to allow iPhone owners to access their iTunes libraries remotely. Titled ”Remote access of media items,” the patent describes a system of loading metadata for “virtual media items” onto a portable media device — such as the iPhone or iPod touch — which can then access the virtual media items, the data of which remains stored in iTunes, over the air through a LAN, WLAN, Wi-Fi, or cellular data connection. As with all Apple patents, this filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area. [via AppleInsider]

The rest of the countries receiving the iPhone 3G on August 22 have been announced. SetteB.IT reports (Translated link) that in addition to already-announced arrivals in Romania, India, the Philippines, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, four additional countries will see launches. Latvia and Lithuania will see the device launched on TeliaSonera’s LMT and Omnitel services, respectively, while T-Mobile and Orange will launch the iPhone in Slovakia, and SingTel will begin offering the device in Singapore. These latest additions bring that number to 21, and bring the total number of countries in which the iPhone will be available to 43 as of August 22.

Softbank has announced that iPhone users in Japan will now pay less for their service depending on their internet use. The company will begin offering plans as for as little as 2,990 yen (~$28) a month, less than half the cost of the lowest plan available at the device’s introduction. Softbank said the new pricing will kick in for all iPhone users next month, and that users will pay on a staggered scale, up to the 7,280 yen (~$67) charged for unlimited use. In addition, the AP reports that the company will start accepting reservations for the currently-sold out phone on Wednesday.

In an internal email, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has admitted to some of the flaws in the company’s launch of its MobileMe service. “It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store,” Jobs said. “We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence.” Jobs is also restructuring the MobileMe team, with the group now reporting to Eddy Cue, the former vice president of iTunes who will now oversee iTunes, the App Store, and MobileMe as leader of the company’s Internet services.

Update: SetteB.IT has posted a screenshot of the complete email from Steve Jobs.

Bertelsmann AG has announced that it will sell its 50% stake in Sony BMG to Sony for $1.2 billion, giving Sony full ownership of the music label. According to the announcement, the new company will be called Sony Music Entertainment and will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corp. of America. “Music has been a vital and vibrant part of Sony’s culture for over 20 years. This acquisition will allow us to achieve a deeper and more robust integration between the wide-ranging global assets of the music company and Sony’s products, operating companies and affiliates,” Sony CEO Howard Stringer said in a statement.

Tapulous’ Tap Tap Revenge game for the iPhone and iPod touch has likely become the first application to cross the 1 million unique downloads mark, a number it reached late last week, according to information provided to iLounge by the company. The music-based game allows users to tap in rhythm on markers moving across the screen — somewhat similar to Guitar Hero or Rock Band — and also offers downloadable tracks. Tap Tap Revenge is available as a free download from the App Store.

United Kingdom-based newspaper The Daily Mail reports that Apple plans to release a “nano” version of the iPhone in time for the holiday season. The report, which cites only one anonymous industry source, suggests the product would be aimed at pay-as-you-go customers that might find the iPhone 3G too expensive.

Noreve has introduced its new Diamond Leather Case for the iPhone 3G (pictured). The simple sleeve-style case is adorned with 272 diamonds with a total weight of 6.8 karats, and also features soft interior lining and access to the phone’s headphone jack and power button. The Noreve Diamond Leather Case for iPhone 3G is available now and sells for 9,990€ (~$15,570).

Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that builds the iPhone 3G for Apple, has ramped up production of the handset to 800,000 units per week, according to TechCrunch. Citing a source close to Apple with direct knowledge of the numbers, TechCrunch reports that the number is “above current full capacity,” and there may be concerns with quality control given that fact. The report goes on to state that Foxconn is now producing iPhones at a rate of 40 million units per year, more than early estimates of demand for 25 million iPhone 3G’s over the product’s life cycle.

Apple will begin selling the iPhone 3G in Russia in 2009, according to a new report. Citing Russian publication Vedomosti, Kommersant reports that Pyotr Semenov, Sales Director for official Apple retailer Maczone, claimed that the iPhone would be available in the country after the new year. The report also states that Russian carriers MTS, VimpelCom and MegaFon all confirmed that they were in negotiations with Apple over the iPhone, although the publication’s unnamed sources did not expect any one of the three to receive exclusive rights.

A recently published Apple patent applications suggests the company intends to patent the process for iTunes Tagging, currently a feature on select HD Radio-equipped, iPod-docking accessories. The patent goes beyond the current implementation, however, describing the tagging of TV broadcasts, points of interest (using GPS-provided latitude and longitude coordinates), stores selling an item mentioned in an advertisement, and more. As with all Apple patents, this filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area.

TwelvePin has released Backup Disabler, a new iTunes utility for Mac OS X. Backup Disabler allows users to turn off iTunes 7.7’s backup feature for the iPhone and iPod touch. The application also allows this functionality to be restored, both with a single click. Backup Disabler 1.1 is available now as a free download from MacUpdate.

Apple is now providing App Store developers with daily download stats, according to a Mac Rumors report. Previously, developers had to wait until the first of the Store’s monthly reports to arrive, making it difficult for developers to gauge demand and adjust pricing accordingly. Originally, download numbers for each App Store application were provided on the app’s page, but Apple quickly removed these listings. Mac Rumors notes that some developers have already started making pricing adjustments to their apps, with Pangea Software dropping the price on its Cro-Mag Rally racing game from $9.99 to $5.99.

Reporting its second quarter financial results, Rogers revealed (PDF Link) that its contract with Apple to sell the iPhone requires the carrier to purchase a minimum of $150 million worth of the handsets. While Rogers notes that its cost of acquisition per subscriber will likely increase due to sales of the heavily-subsidized iPhone 3G, it expects that average monthly revenue per user will increase over the course of the contracts thanks to iPhone subscribers signing up for both voice and data plans.

Cambridge SoundWorks has announced its Direct to You program, in which the company will once again offer factory direct sales to its customers. The change has resulted in substantial price drops on several of its iPod-compatible sound systems, including the SoundWorks i765 iPod/Video Entertainment System, which was priced at $500 but now sells for $300, the SoundWorks Radio CD 745i with bundled iPod Dock, which dropped $100 from $350 to $250, and the SoundWorks Radio 735i, which now sells for $200 after a $50 price drop.

AT&T has posted details of its Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone and iPhone 3G. Designed for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a speech disability and/or hearing loss, the TAP plan for original iPhone is $40 a month and includes unlimited SMS messaging, unlimited data, Visual Voicemail, and a $0.40 per minute voice rate. The TAP plan for iPhone 3G runs $50 a month, and includes the same features as the plan for original iPhones. Finally, AT&T will also offer a business version of the TAP plan for $65 per month that includes all the features of the standard TAP plans plus unlimited enterprise email.

Discussing Verizon’s second quarter financial results, COO Denny Strigl said it was seeing minimal impact from the launch of the iPhone 3G. The AP reports that Strigl said Verizon was seeing what it believes to be a “minimal short-term impact” in customer flow due to the iPhone 3G, adding that the effect looks small compared to the overall size of Verizon Wireless, and suggesting that most new iPhone customers switching to AT&T are coming from other carriers, such as Sprint.

The iPhone/iPod touch Remote application has a better interface than the iPhone’s own built-in iPod app, according to a recent blog post. In the post, the author argues that the addition of item counts and icons to the Playlist view, artist names and scrolling dots when viewing a selected playlist, and the search function are all improvements over the iPhone and iPod touch’s more minimalist iPod interface. [via DF]

An iLounge forum thread dating back to February is highly suggested for readers planning to travel to the Bahamas with their iPhones. Reader iScottL reported having nearly $3,000 in roaming charges, despite having data roaming turned off. According to reader Doug Toombs, there is a carrier in Bermuda that uses the 310 Mobile Country Code, which is actually the code for the U.S. This causes the iPhone to read “AT&T” and to override any data roaming settings, since the phone believes it is on a U.S. network. Toombs’ report confirms that this issue has continued to exist in Bermuda through this month. Until the situation is resolved, iLounge recommends that all U.S. readers who have an iPhone through AT&T put the device into Airplane Mode if they are in Bermuda.

In a recent interview with Forbes, id Software co-founder and Doom creator John Carmack spoke about his company’s plans for iPhone development. “We wanted to do something for the iPhone, but we just didn’t have the scheduling or the resources available,” Carmack said. “I really regret not having something at launch.” He added that id has a title it wants to develop specifically for the iPhone, saying, “I’m not announcing anything specifically, but it would be a graphical tour de force.” Anna Kang, president of id Mobile, said the new title “would not be a new IP,” meaning the game would be based on the company’s existing catalog, which includes the Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein franchises. Finally, Carmack admitted that the opportunities presented by the iPhone also present a challenge in trying to reign in development time and costs. “The iPhone, as a device, is in the same generation power-wise as the PS2 or Xbox,” he said. “The graphics are a little lower but the RAM is a lot higher. … You could easily spend $10 million on an iPhone game, but the market just can’t support that yet.”

T-Mobile Germany is sending customers awaiting the arrival of their pre-ordered iPhone 3Gs flyers with a cardboard cut-out iPhone 3G “as a small pastime.” iFun.de reports that along with the cardboard teaser, the carrier has previously informed iPhone 3G pre-order customers that they will receive a free silicone protective cover for their patience in receiving the device.

OfficeTally, a fan website dedicated to NBC’s popular sitcom The Office, has posted a video interview with cast member Rainn Wilson ("Dwight") in which both Wilson and a OfficeTally editor play with the iPhone application PhoneSaber. PhoneSaber simulates a Star Wars lightsaber on the screen using the phone’s built-in accelerometer, and is a free download from the App Store.

The Simpsons Shop is currently offering a range of Limited Edition iPods featuring artwork from the long-running cartoon laser etched on the players’ backs. Each of the players are numbered and are limited to a run of 2,000. Three different designs are available on nearly every current-generation iPod, with prices ranging from $89 for a Limited Edition 1GB iPod shuffle to $599 for an etched 32GB iPod touch.

Browser security researcher Aviv Raff claims to have found a vulnerability in the iPhone and iPod touch’s Mail and Safari applications which affect users of both 1.1.4 and 2.0 Software. Raff writes, “By creating a specially crafted URL, and sending it via an email, an attacker can convince the user that the spoofed URL, showed in the mail application, is from a trusted domain (e.g. Bank, PayPal, Social Networks, etc.). When clicking on the URL, the Safari browser will be opened. The spoofed URL, showed in the address bar of the Safari browser, will still be viewed by the victim as if it is of a trusted domain.” Raff has reported the vulnerabilities to Apple, which has acknowledged the problem with Mail, and is “still investigating” the issue in Safari. In addition, Raff claims the Mail application is also “spammable,” but does not go into further detail regarding the vulnerability.

Blogger Chris Barnes has put together a handy iPhone 3G availability guide that uses Apple’s own availability file to provide stock information throughout the day. Unlike Apple’s own availability checker, which is only available between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., Barnes’ page is available at all times, and is updated once every 15 minutes, while Apple updates its own availability file throughout the course of the day. In addition, the page also offers quick stats about the availability of iPhone 3G models nationwide. [via DF]

Update: Following the publication of this article, Apple has changed the values in its availability file to “null,” removing the information needed for the availability guide to function.

According to its course schedule for the Autumn term of 2008-2009, Stanford University will be offering a course on “iPhone Application Programming.” No other information about the class is yet available, however, given Apple’s strict developer NDA, which presently prohibits discussion of certain confidential development information, some current iPhone developers are questioning whether Apple will tell the university to cancel the class. [via TUAW]

Yamaha has released its YDS-11SL iPod Dock for select Yamaha AV Products. The Made for iPod-certified YDS-11SL features a Universal Dock that lets users connect the iPod to certain Yamaha products, allowing for on-screen navigation on some models, iPod charging, and the ability to control the iPod from the product’s remote control. It is available now for $100.

A new feature has been discovered in Apple’s Remote application for iPhone and iPod touch. When the application is open and connected to an Apple TV, anytime the user needs to enter information using the on-screen keyboard, a keyboard also appears in the Remote application, allowing the user to quickly enter information using the iPhone or iPod touch. [via DF]

A first-generation iPhone owner has successfully modified a Dual Dock for iPhone and the iPhone Bluetooth Headset for compatibility with the iPhone 3G. According to a rough translation, the user said, “I was lucky to get an iPhone 3G 16 GB last Thursday. As I could not find any dock for the iPhone 3G, I took my Dremel and decided to modify the dock shipping with the Bluetooth iPhone headset. Once polished, it looks like brand new and clean, and this is a substantial money saving[s].”

Apple “totally underestimated” demand for the iPhone 3G in Germany, according to a report in German magazine Focus. Citing an unnamed Apple manager, the report says that T-Mobile expected to receive 40,000 iPhone 3Gs from Apple for the July 11 launch, but less than half that number actually reached shops. The report suggests that it may take until early October until shops in Germany are restocked.

Apple has announced a conference call to discuss its third fiscal quarter financial results will be held on Monday, July 21 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. A link to the conference call webcast will be provided at a later date.

Fetch Art, an iTunes album art utility for Mac, has been updated to version 2.0. New features in v2.0 include fixes for compatibility with Amazon’s ECS 4.0 web service, improvements in search accuracy, an option to skip tracks that already have art, increased performance, support for searched on Amazon Japan, France, and Canada, and more. Fetch Art is free to download, but interested users can make donations through the developer’s website.

Fabrix cases has announced new designs for their sleeve cases, as well as iPhone 3G compatibility for its iPhone sleeves. According to the company, all previously purchased iPhone sleeves will be completely compatible with the iPhone 3G, and future sleeves will continue to fit either model. In addition, it announced four new fabric options, including chalkboard, grey suit, gingham (available in red, pink, green, or blue), and red damask. Fabrix Sleeves for iPhone and iPhone 3G are available now and sell for $22.

Speck Products is currently running a special promotion which offers a 50% discount off the total order. To take advantage of the offer, follow this link to get the coupon code. The promotion runs through Monday, June 30.

Six Apart has introduced its new Blog It for iPhone web-based blogging application. Blog It allows users to post blog entries or status updates directly from the iPhone to more than a dozen different online services, including Blogger, Facebook, FriendFeed, Jaiku, LiveJournal, Movable Type, Pownce, Tumblr, Twitter, TypePad Vox, WordPress.com, and WordPress.org. Users can login using an OpenID or Yahoo! account at blogit.typepad.com.

After more than three years of operation, iPod- and iPhone-themed gift retailer ipopmybaby is now for sale. Sale of the business will include a complete inventory of over 1000 units of first quality printed shirts, a customer list of over 6000 people, supplier contacts, existing retailer and wholesale distribution relationships, conveyed rights to custom designs and artwork, and more, as well as the domains ipodmybaby.com, ipopmybaby.com, iphonemybaby.com, and popmybaby.com. The business is currently being auctioned off on eBay; bidding starts at $19,000.

Electronic music site Beatportal has posted a roundup of native music applications currently in development for the iPhone and iPod touch. Featured in the roundup are MooCowMusic’s Band, which was spotlighted during Apple’s recent WWDC keynote address, IR-909, an iPhone drum machine inspired by the Roland TR-909, iPhone Synth, a TB-303-like synth-plus-sequencer, Pocket Guitar, drum machine app BeatPhone, MixMeister Scratch, a scratching tool, and MPC500, a beat application inspired by the Akai product of the same name.

ZAGG is holding a Digital Obsession Video Contest, and is offering a free invisibleSHIELD to the first 100 people to enter the contest. To enter, users should create a short video showing their love for their favorite digital device, upload it to a major video sharing service such as YouTube or Vimeo, and fill out a simple form on ZAGG’s website. The Grand Prize is an iPhone 3G with an invisibleSHIELD pre-installed. ZAGG’s Digital Obsession Video Contest runs through June 30.

RockridgeSound has introduced its iCooly stand for the iPod touch. While the stand is depicted as featuring a design inspired by Apple’s current line of iMac computers, with an aluminum base, matte black back, and a rotating holster for the touch, the stand does not appear to provide complete access to the iPod’s headphone port, making its practicality a question mark. The RockridgeSound iCooly stand for iPod touch will sell for ¥4,980 (about $47) when it goes on sale June 7. [via Engadget]

English rock band Radiohead, one of the biggest remaining holdouts from the iTunes Store, has had its complete back catalog of albums, songs, and music videos added to the store. The entire catalog, save for the band’s debut album “Pablo Honey,” is available in the DRM-free iTunes Plus format.

Apple has announced its iTunes Live: London Festival ‘08, a month-long music event to be held at London’s KOKO in July. As with last year’s iTunes Festival: London, each of the performances will be recorded and made available for sale on iTunes. Notable performers scheduled for this year’s festival include Death Cab for Cutie, CSS, James Blunt, and N*E*R*D. [via Macworld UK]

The University of Arizona has added video and animation relating to the Phoenix Mars Mission to iTunes U. The programs range from around a minute to nearly fifty minutes length, and include media related to the landing and launch of Phoenix, as well as talks from various speakers.