According to several sources, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has written letters to Apple, AT&T and Google (see letters after the jump) questioning the rejection of Google Voice and related applications from the iPhone App Store. Nobody actually knows who is to blame — AT&T has hinted that it was ultimately Apple’s decision, and Apple continues to remain very quiet on the rejection and removals.

The letter sent Friday to Apple, the FCC is asking the company why Google Voice was rejected, which related applications have been rejected along with it, and what role AT&T may have played in the decision. It also asked what the difference is between Google Voice and other VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) software that has been approved for the iPhone.

More broadly the agency asked Apple what other applications have been rejected for the phone and why.

Apple’s process for approving or rejecting applications for the iPhone has drawn wide criticism for being murky and unpredictable. Google Voice is a VoIP service that lets users set up one phone number and have it ring on all of their phones at once, and control which phones ring at which times of the day or week, among other things.

GV Mobile, VoiceCentral the were removed and the official Google Voice app that was rejected are not VoIP apps, they use cell minutes to make calls. However, they compete with AT&T by allowing SMS message (as do many other apps in the App Store) and cheap long distance (as several other services and apps for the iPhone). Google Voice recently opened up its service to the general public and allows for your phone number to be “ported” over.

See the letters after the jump.

Continue reading FCC Questioning Apple and AT&T About Google Voice Rejection…

I just received an email from Snowtape developer Vemedio announcing an update to the popular streaming radio and recorder app for the Mac. Seems he is also frustrated with Apple’s App Store approval process.

Orignally I prepared a complete different newsletter. I wanted to tell you something about SnowRemote, the new iPhone and iPod Touch companion app for Snowtape. I had this whole thing planned out. The website was already prepared, press releases were already written. But then I made a big mistake. I assumed Apple would just approve my app and everything would be great. Certainly this did not happen yet. I don’t know why. Problem is that SnowRemote just don’t work without Snowtape having support integrated. So I can’t release one without the other. This was a really bad idea, because now I have to hold back features I would like you to have rather sooner than later. Originally I wanted to publish 1.2 with the SnowRemote feature. I am changing my plans.

And SnowRemote?
What will happen to SnowRemote now? Honestly I don’t know. As soon as Apple decides to let me into the App Store, I will quickly launch an update to Snowtape. Until then Snowtape will carry on as if never anything ever happened.

Snowtape is a really nice application for the Mac. Give it a try.

Well the finger pointing continues between Apple and AT&T on just WHO pulled the trigger to remove all the Google Voice apps from the iTunes App Store. Yesterday AT&T denied they had anything to do with the removal of GV Mobile, VoiceCentral and rejecting Google Voice official app. Today an Apple support person tells a different story. Below is what appears to be an exchange between a iPhone customer and iTunes Support.

So the soap opera continues. How is this helping developers or Apple’s iPhone related business? Please Apple an official statement!

Seems the way iTunes App Store is setup, asking for refunds hurt the developer, NOT Apple or AT&T, even though it was Apple that removed a really good app that was useful app that was in complete working order. Read this.

Tell Apple/AT&T How You Feel About Removed Apps

Apple has updated Time Capsule to 2TB storage. Time Capsule is a combination of a wireless router and network hard drive, The new 2TB model is now selling for $499, while Apple has dropped the price of the 1TB model to $299, and discontinued the 500GB model.

The new 2TB Time Capsule is available immediately and is shipping today from Apple’s online store.

So is AT&T throwing Apple under the bus here? According to a post at TechCrunch the will leave your mouth hanging open, AT&T is basically saying, Don’t Blame Us For The iPhone’s Google Voice Ban. Apple did it!

TechCrunch writer MG Siegler received a very blunt and brief statement from AT&T: “Nope – Apple is the one who can talk about their App Store.”

Today AT&T in answering some frustrated iPhone customers that have complained, began sending out detailed messages. The message below was written by Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices and Resale.

Your letter concerning Apple’s decision on the Google Voice iPhone app was forwarded to me since I work closely with Apple.

While we’re very proud to offer the iPhone 3GS along with the thousands of apps available through the App Store, AT&T does not manage the App Store – and we are not involved in the approval process for apps in the App Store. I recommend in this particular case that you express your concerns to Apple.

I’m glad you’re enjoying your iPhone and hope that you continue to be an AT&T customer. We appreciate and value your business.

Sincerely,
Glenn Lurie

AT&T spokesman said that the company stood by what Lurie’s statement when contacted.

TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid contacted Apple as instructed by AT&T. Apple Corporate PR spokesman Steve Dowling (408) 974-1896 – refused to comment on the matter saying “we haven’t made any comment on that” plus this response:

TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid: Are you planning to comment?
Apple Spokesman Steve Dowling: We haven’t made any comment on that.

So that makes the whole matter of App Store removals and rejections clear as mud! How long can this soap opera go on until Apple tells us what the real deal is here? Developers are getting more and more frustrated and so are many loyal iPhone users.

Apple Press Contacts can be found here.

If you are one of the frustrated, like me contact Apple and AT&T.

It pains me to write this post. Recently, Apple has seemed to have turned a corner in the way they treat apps in the App Store. They are now rejecting and removing without notice any apps that they or AT&T see as competition to services they offer or will offer. Apple seems to be abusing users and developers with the one source for apps and locked down device that the iPhone is.

Scenario: Developer works hard creating an app – spending time and money, trying best to follow Apple’s stated, but changing rules. The app then gets rejected without a decent or reasonable explanation. Worse YET the app gets accepted into the App Store, gets updated several times over a period of time. iPhone owners buy and depend on the app. Then without notice after months of being in the app store the app gets REMOVED by Apple without notice or a decent explanation!

This leaves developers stuck as well as users. Users are left with an app they paid for that can no longer be updated and may possibly even stop working. All while the same apps are freely available on Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm and Nokia in many cases – even on the same carrier (AT&T)! This devalues your investment.

Why is this not done on Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm and Nokia devices. Simple, they are not locked to just ONE app store that is controlled by a single vendor!

Apple is actively trying to stop the U.S. Copyright Office to allow an exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 requested by the EFF to make jailbreaking legal. Apple has seemed to have abused their ultimate control of what you can do with your iPhone. They need to either get real with App Store rules or unlock the iPhone for third party developers! Rejecting apps just because you can should not be acceptable.

Take a look here and see just how Apple treats developers:

Developer of VoiceCentral: http://www.riverturn.com/blog/?p=455

Developer of GV Mobile: http://www.seankovacs.com/

Developer of FitnessTrack: http://carpeaqua.com/2009/07/28/where-do-i-sign-up/

Developer of several iPhone apps: http://www.polarbearfarm.com/blog/?p=124

What can you do? COMPLAIN!

Complain to Apple: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Complain to AT&T: 1-800-331-0500

Other Apple Contacts:

• http://www.apple.com/pr/contacts/
• investor_relations@apple.com
• media.help@apple.com

I know Steve Jobs has had his health problems, but he needs to step up and address this issue now. I will step down from my “soapbox” now.

Apple has released the long awaited MobileMe iDisk app, free to the App Store.

Not unlike the tons of third party apps that have been available it allows you to connect to your MobileMe iDisk (account required) or public folder. Once you you login you can view or email a link to share the files with others. You can also adjust the amount of local storage used on the phone for recently viewed files and put a time limit on shared files.

Continue reading Apple Releases MobileMe iDisk App for iPhone…

Apple seems to be on the wrong side of the issue involving full control over peoples devices as featured in this Wired article. Apple has enjoyed a closed business model with the iPhone since it debuted in 2007. After various rejections and removal of apps from their App Store recently, some customers are outraged. These rejections and removals were obviously ONLY done because it threatened Apple or their U.S. carrier partner, AT&T business model.

In the past, some rejections of apps from the App Store were done because of bandwidth issues, porn or moral reasons, copyright violations or to protect users information. Now Apple has seemed to have turned a corner. The App Store policies of late seem to have taken on a schizophrenic state leaving developers and iPhone customers questioning this ultimate control. Some developers even leaving the iPhone platform or offering their apps on Cydia for jailbroken iPhones.

Example: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone not allowed to stream over 3G while the same app available on the same carrier (AT&T) is allowed to do this on the Blackberry and Windows Mobile platform. Making it worse is another app allowed in the iPhone App Store, MLB.com At Bat 2009 can stream every Major League Baseball game over 3G (for premium customers). So was it really a bandwidth issue you might ask?

Recently Apple removed GV Mobile and VoiceCentral, both available in the App Store since May, while rejecting Google Voice official app. These Google Voice apps are NOT VoIP applications and use little bandwidth, they simply threaten AT&T’s business model in a small way. Again these apps are available on other mobile platforms. Even ones that run on AT&T’s network!

Continue reading Apple: iPhone Jailbreaking Could Crash Cell Towers…

One of my favorite iPhone apps is Instapaper Pro, $4.99 which just reached version 2.1. This update adds Twitter and Tumblr Sharing as well as other new features – email articles without leaving the Instapaper, non-article screens no longer rotate, interface and speed improvements, and fixed a common crash from the previous version.

Instapaper Pro is really easy-to-use iPhone (and iPod touch) app that allows you to conveniently save web pages for later viewing in graphical or text mode. You can star recommended articles, save your position, adjust text and font sizes, and much more. Now requires iPhone OS 3.0.

There is a free version of Instapaper that has more limited features. Instapaper Pro is on my iPhone, how about yours.

GV Mobile was available in the App Store since May and has received plenty of praise from iPhone users with Google Voice accounts. Originally approved by Phil Schiller, Apple VP of Marketing, personally, GV Mobile was removed yesterday from the App Store without much notice.

Apple removed GV Mobile, along with all the Google Voice apps, leaving developer Sean Kovacs, with his popular app without a home. So instead of just allowing the app to go away, he has decided to distribute it via Cydia, which means you can download it for free if you have a jailbroken device.

The public outcry has been substantial, but unlikely to change Apple or AT&T decision. Google’s official Google Voice app was also rejected by Apple.

The list of features for GV Mobile remains the same for the Cydia version.

Continue reading GV Mobile Now Available via Cydia for Jailbreakers…

Apple has apparently pulled GV Mobile today. This app that has been in the App Store since May 13, 2009. The reason? See what the developer claims he was told below.

From the developer Sean Kovacs:
Richard Chipman from Apple just called – he told me they’re removing GV Mobile from the App Store due to it duplicating features that the iPhone comes with (Dialer, SMS, etc). He didn’t actually specify which features, although I assume the whole app in general. He wouldn’t send a confirmation email either – too scared I would post it. I’ll see what I can do to get it back up there gang…

This was a very useful app for people with Google Voice accounts. My only guess is that Google may be bringing its own app to the iPhone. Who knows. The reason stated above seems nuts as the app has been in the App Store for months! Even if Google did have its own app, it should not be pulled as competition is a great thing.

Continue reading GV Mobile Pulled from App Store UPDATED…

My iPhone is my portable office. It has become more of a business tool than my Blackberry ever was with these 10 apps. I am finding more often I can leave my laptop and netbook at home or in the office.

1. Quickoffice® Mobile Office Suite (Word, Excel, Email & WiFi), $12.99 (sale) – allows me to create and edit MS Office files INCLUDING ATTACHMENTS, share them over WiFi with my laptop (no downloaded software needed), email them to anyone and access my iDisk as well as others MobileMe Public folders.
2. Print & Share – Print and Share Docs, Email + Printing for Emails, Files, Contacts, Web Pages. Photo Printer, $6.99 – I use this mostly to print emails, attachments, documents, photos, contacts and etc. I can even print remotely back to my office when I am on the road over WiFi/G/EDGE or email. This is also helpful for file sharing with my Mac or PC.
3. DocScanner, $9.99 – Ever wish you had a scanner on the road? With this app I have scanned documents with your iPhone and saved it as a PDF and send it via e-mail in just a few seconds. Uses your iPhone camera! You can also save your scans to any webDAV server including MobileMe iDisk just add the URL http://idisk.mac.com/[your idisk name] and add your username and password.
4. Delivery Status touch, $2.99 – I track packages from UPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT, and most other shippers including Amazon, Apple, and others before they even ship right on my iPhone.
5. PhotoForge, $2.99 – Closest thing to having Photoshop in your pocket!
6. Evernote, free – This app is so useful for so many things. Try it out if you have not already.
7. BeejiveIM with Push, $9.99 – Keeping in touch with the office and clients makes this app a must have.
8. 1Password Pro, $5.99 – keeping important notes and sensitive passwords with this app is easy.
9. Simplenote, $1.99 – take a note on my iPhone or with any browser using their free web app and they stay totally in sync. Brain-dead simple. I use this for to-dos or anything I want to remember.
10. FTP On The Go, $6.99 – This app has saved me many times. Allowing me to make quick fixes to my website or a clients with a simple text editor and FTP client, from anywhere. A built in web browser lets you see your changes without leaving FTP On The Go.

See more detailed descriptions after the jump. Let me know if you have an app I should know about to make my iPhone Office even better.

Continue reading My iPhone Portable Office…

Apple has updated Logic Studio claiming a huge leap forward for guitar players, live performers, and all musicians who record, edit, and mix their own music.

Continue reading Apple Updates Logic Studio…

Apple releases a new Final Cut Studio this morning bringing updates to all apps including Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and DVD Studio Pro 4 with more than 100 new features.

FCP 7 includes three new ProRes codecs, alpha transitions, new sharing options including support for iChat Theater, automatic transfer of P2 media and more. Motion 4 includes new 3D shadow and reflection options, and the ever-popular bad film filter.

Continue reading Apple Updates Final Cut Studio…

See the pros and cons of jailbreaking your iPhone and the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking here.

In this “how-to” I give you the basic method to jailbreak and unlock your iPhone 3GS. I do NOT recommend or take ANY responsibility. I merely give you the information so you can get the basic understanding plus some detailed instructions. You are totally on your own.

These instructions apply to iPhone 3GS. For jailbreaking iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G running 3.0 firmware (Update: 3.01 works also, see very bottom) see this post.

Continue reading Jailbreak/Unlock iPhone 3GS with redsn0w for OS X or Windows…

Jailbreaking is a personal decision. Most iPhone owners that jailbreak do it for experimentation or because they want to run apps that are just not available to them in the App Store. Sure the App Store has over 60,000 apps that have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times. BUT there are some that just may be worth jailbreaking your iPhone to use. Check these out:

Continue reading 15 Apps Worth Jailbreaking Your iPhone To Use…

Navigon MobileNavigator North America for iPhone 3G and 3GS is now available in the App Store for $69.99 for a limited time until August 15th. Looks great. Works whether you are traveling in the car, by bike or on foot.

Can be used in portrait and landscape format with turn-by-turn voice announcements. MobileNavigator features 2D and 3D map displays and direct access and navigation to contacts saved in your iPhone’s address book. Navigation is automatically resumed after an incoming phone call. Lane Assistant Pro is also included. MobileNavigator doesn’t require subscription fees or wait for map to load over the cellular network as built-in.

Included maps: USA (incl. Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands), Canada. (1.29 GB)

Continue reading Navigon MobileNavigator for iPhone Available…

Even wonder what this “jailbreak” stuff was all about when it comes to the iPhone? First I think an explanation is needed between the difference of “jailbreaking” and “unlocking” the iPhone.

Jailbreaking is a process where your iPhone’s firmware is modified to allow code that is “unsigned” and “unapproved” by Apple to run on your iPhone. Jailbreaking adds “unofficial” application installers to be put your iPhone such as Cydia, Icy or Installous by Appulo.us, which let you download many 3rd applications that are unavailable in the official iTunes App Store. Jailbreaking also allows you to add tweaks and modify your iPhone in many ways.

Most times reversing a jailbroken iPhone is as easy as doing a full software restore using iTunes. The risk of damage is small, but DOES exist. Making a “brick” or paperweight of your iPhone is quite uncommon and rarely happens. Most jailbreaking methods are quite stable. But if you do decide to “open” up your iPhone, you are at your own risk.

Continue reading Why Jailbreak or Unlock Your iPhone?…

I give you the pros and cons of jailbreaking your iPhone and also explain the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking here.

In this “how-to” I give you the basic method to jailbreak and unlock your iPhone. I do NOT recommend or take ANY responsibility. I merely give you the information so you can get the basic understanding plus some detailed instructions. You are totally on your own.

These instructions apply to iPhone 3G & iPhone 2G running 3.0 firmware only.

Continue reading Jailbreak/Unlock iPhone 3.0 with redsn0w for OS X or Windows…

Continue reading OS X Tip #170: Resetting Power Management iMac (Flat Panel)…