iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, July 20, 2009
News Category: Mix

Apple will announce its third quarter financial results tomorrow, July 21. As it has done in the past, the company also plans to conduct a conference call to discuss its first quarter results; the call will begin at 2:00 p.m. PST and will be available as an audio webcast.

Vaughn S. Cordero has released MobileSyncBrowser (MSB) 3.0, the latest version of the iPhone backup utility. MSB lets users access SMS messages, notes, and call history stored in iTunes during syncing, with options to view, save, archive, and export the information. MSB Plus allows for expanded data recovery, including export support for Contacts, Calendar Events, and Photos, and the ability to export any file found in the backup regardless of type. Version 3.0 adds compatibility with iPhone OS 3.0 along with better performance and enhanced stability. MobileSyncBrowser 3.0 and MSB Plus 3.0 are available now for Mac and Windows and sell for $10 and $20, respectively.

Apple, along with several other companies, has been sued by Tsera, over the latter’s touchpad control patent. Tsera is claiming that the Click Wheels found on the iPod classic and iPod nano, along with the controls of the Microsoft Zune, LG Chocolate, and several other devices infringe on a 2004 touchpad patent held by the company. The patent mentions a series of strokes made by the user which must be interpreted into actions, while noting that “[n]o immediate visual feedback is provided as a command pattern is traced, and the user does not need to view the device to enter commands.” [via Engadget]

T-Mobile in the U.K. is reportedly scouring Europe in search of contract-free iPhones in order to import the phones to sell to local customers. The Telegraph reports that sources at T-Mobile claim Apple will be unable to stop the company should it choose to begin sales, as the contract between Apple and O2—the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.K.—does not prevent other companies from importing unlocked phones from abroad. T-Mobile is said to be under intense pressure from parent company Deutsche Telekom, which is investigating the possibility of selling the underperforming U.K. branch. Last week, a report surfaced suggesting both T-Mobile and Orange in the U.K. were in talks with Apple about the possibility of offering the iPhone 3G, leaving the iPhone 3GS an O2 exclusive.