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The Blank Screen: How Apple Outsmarts Competitors

White iPhone 4

When the iPhone was launched in 2007, I met with Phil Schiller, SVP of World Wide marketing for Apple, and Greg Joswiak, the Apple VP in charge of marketing the iPods and iPhones. During the meeting they showed me the iPhone's many features and shared their goals for the device, which has now become a major business for Apple.

During that meeting, they made a comment that I believe is really the heart of Apple's secret sauce and the cornerstone of how it continues to outsmart its competitors. They laid the iPhone on the table, with it turned off, and asked me what I saw. I told them I saw a 3.5 inch blank screen. They said that from Apples point of view, the "magic" of the iPhone is strictly in the software. And, they de-emphasized the hardware.

Yes, the iPhone was a slick smartphone with a great screen and, at the time, it broke new ground in smartphone design, and Apple was very proud of that. However, with the iPhone turned off, it had very little value. But once it was turned on, the iPhone's OS and apps turned it into a completely different device. While it was a phone, the software made it much more—it became a vehicle for applications. It also had another component that really made it sing and dance; it was also an iPod and was tied directly to iTunes. Now it morphed into a much broader multi-purpose device. It was a phone, a vehicle for apps, and an iPod, which made it a great personal mobile entertainment system.

Click to continue reading The Blank Screen: How Apple Outsmarts Competitors


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iOS 4 Golden Master SDK released to developers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software

iOS 4 GM seed

For all you iPhone and devs out there, the iPhone Developer Portal has just been updated with the iOS GM seed, alongside the GM seed of the iOS 4 SDK. Remember, iPhone OS has been renamed iOS, for anyone who is confused. The software build is 8A293, while the SDK build is 10M2262. Apple announced earlier today at that iOS 4 will officially launch on June 21, available as a free upgrade for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch users—and that’s the first time that a major update to iOS has been made available for free to the iPod touch! The launches three days later.


iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software

Apple has decided to retire the iPhone OS name with version 4.0, as they’ve just announced at the keynote. The new name will be iOS 4. It makes perfect sense, since the runs iOS as well (as does the iPod touch,) and isn’t a phone.


iPad not allowed in Yankee Stadium

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, PC / Laptop

iPad yankee stadiumIf you plan on taking your with you to Yankee Stadium, you may wanna think again (or wear a loose-fitting jacket with a large pocket.) Yankee Stadium has a policy where they don’t allow laptop computers inside their gates, and recently they’ve decided that the iPad falls under that same category. Over on the IGN Message Boards, user Spacekatgal tells her tale of being turned away at the gate due to having an iPad with her. She walked away, stuffed it in a jacket pocket, and came back and got through.

Of course, we find it odd that the iPad is being given laptop treatment here, when it is an iPhone OS device. In our opinion, if you can bring in an iPhone or iPod touch into Yankee Stadium (which you can,) then the iPad shouldn’t really be given a hard time. Your thoughts?

Read More | IGN Boards

iPhone OS 4.0 SDK beta 4 released

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software

iPhone OS 4.0 beta sdk 4

For all you iPhone and devs out there, you can now head on over to the iPhone Developer Portal to grab iPhone OS 4 beta 4, which Apple just released, alongside beta 4 of the SDK. The software build is 8A274b, while the SDK build is 10M2252. Apple is right on time, continuing to deliver iPhone OS 4.0 betas about two weeks apart from each other, every other Tuesday. It should drop down to weekly releases sometime soon here, what with the rumored to make its debut sometime next month.


iPhone OS 4.0 SDK beta 3 released

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software

iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 3 SDK

iPhone and devs, head on over to the iPhone Developer Portal, because Apple has just released iPhone OS 4 beta 3, alongside beta 3 of the SDK. The software build is 8A260b, while the SDK build is 10M2247. Again, Apple is right on time, continuing to deliver iPhone OS 4.0 betas about two weeks apart from each other. We will know that things are getting a bit more serious when they drop it down to weekly intervals.


Spirit iPad jailbreak now available

Ever since the was announced, one of the many things users had been waiting for was a way to jailbreak the thing. Well, your iPad jailbreak method has arrived in the form of the free Spirit download. It’s an untethered hack, and it works with any activated iPhone OS device, including iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, as long as they are running iPhone OS 3.1.2, 3.1.3, or 3.2. iPad users, listen up—the people behind Spirit say that things are still a little shaky on that end, and any errors or crashes may result in you having to do a factory restore. Now go and download the software, and proceed at your own risk!

Read More | Spirit Jailbreak

iPhone OS 4.0 already jailbroken

iPhone OS 4.0 jailbreak

Looks like the jailbreak app developer community can get to work on porting their apps to , as the current beta has already been jailbroken. However, if you aren’t a developer, don’t go trying to mess around with the redsn0w 0.9.5 beta, as this is purely a dev release. It currently only works on Mac OS X and with an iPhone 3G running iPhone 4.0 beta 1, but that’s good enough to get the devs started on getting everything up to snuff for the official release this summer.

Read More | iphwn

Live notes from Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 event

iPhone OS 4.0

Apple is set to show off the next major version of the platform this morning, and the event is just about to get underway. We will be bringing you live notes of all the action here, along with a running commentary on all the new things Apple is bringing to the table with iPhone OS 4.0.

Click to continue reading Live notes from Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 event


Apple unveiling iPhone OS 4 on April 8th

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Software

iPhone OS 4.0 event

Hot on the hells of the launch, Apple is continuing fell speed ahead, as they’ve invited a select group of media to come get a look at the unveiling of iPhone OS 4.0. As you can see in the image, the invite has a shadow of a large number “4” figure, and invites us to “Get a sneak peek into the future of iPhone OS.” The event takes place at the Cupertino campus, it’s just 3 days away, and we are excited. You?


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