iLounge

By Jesse Hollington

Applications Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, October 26, 2009
News Category: Mix

Despite recent ads attacking the iPhone, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said today that the decision about whether or not to offer the iPhone on Verizon’s network is “in Apple’s court” and that Verizon “would be interested if [Apple] wanted us as a partner.” Verizon has been seeing some weakness in subscriber growth this past quarter with a slight increase in subscriber defection rate attributed largely to competition from AT&T and the iPhone.

In an interview with BusinessWeek, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski discussed a number of issues regarding net neutrality, broadband accessibility, and wireless spectrum. Notably, Mr. Genachowski specifically mentioned that the available spectrum for wireless services is currently threatened by the demand being created by the iPhone and similar wireless devices, and indicated that the FCC will need to make longer-term plans and innovations in spectrum policy to ensure that future growth can be properly accommodated.

TimeStream Software has released five new NotesCast offerings for Walt Disney World Resort to provide information for vacation planning and in-park tours. The new series of Notescasts include a general “Walt Disney World Guide,” as well as individual Notescasts for more specific tour information to assist guests in discovering less-known facts and secrets within the park. TimeStream software has previously provided Notescasts for Click Wheel iPod models ranging from tour guide NotesCasts to e-books that load into the iPod Notes section; this represents the company’s first iPhone and iPod touch version of a Notescast. The Walt Disney Notescasts apps are available from the App Store and sell for $1-$2 each. 

The Washington Post reports that Harvard Medical School has launched an iPhone application to provide more information on the H1N1 flu through videos, animations and text, and also features real-time updates and news from Harvard Medical School regarding the H1N1 virus, a health map feature that allows users to track the state of the epidemic in their current locations, and a symptom checker to help users determine if their symptoms indicate H1N1 and when users should contact their doctor. Hotlines and numbers to call are also provided based on the user’s location. The HMSMobile Swine Flu Center app is available on the App Store for $2.