Qik has been trying to get onto the iPhone for some time now. First they had an app they showed that allowed live video streaming (and recording to Qik website) on the iPhone 3G. This was even before Apple had an iPhone that did video. The Qik app [iTunes link] has long been available for jailbreakers.

Along comes the iPhone 3GS, that has video recording capabilities. FINALLY Qik gets to make an appearance in the App Store, BUT WAIT the Qik app can not stream live video!

Qik ONLY allows you to upload video from your camera roll. No live streaming with the interactive text chat, ONLY on WiFI no less!

Qik does have auto-uploading – once you stop recording, the app will begin uploading your video immediately. The Ustream.tv app [iTunes Link] can upload videos on 3G connections as well as WiFi. The inability to stream live, that cripples both apps, is an Apple-imposed limitation that makes these apps far less useful and kills off the reason that makes them attractive. Answer JAILBREAK!

GM (aka Government Motors) has shown that did learn something from the computer industry. They have announced that the Chevy Volt they claim will sport 230 MPG rating (OK, I have a bridge to sell you) and it probably will not ship, surprise in 2010.

According to Autocar the vehicle is seeing serious issues. The Volt’s staggering 230 MPG rating in the city, sure sounds like hype and apparently is not as easy as GM would have you believe. The EPA has released “a new methodology for determining a draft fuel economy standard for extended-range EVs like the Volt,” and it is quite murky. Also the reports I have seen claim this vehicle will sell for over 40K, with GM not making much profit even at this high price.

This is supposed to be GM’s big future. Don’t worry, GM does not really need profits anymore as the taxpayer’s own them. We can always give them another $10 Billion when they need it.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone version 1.1 has submitted been submitted to Apple for approval to the App Store. Improvements are:

• True 16×9 wide-screen support (thank god!)
• Improved remote control interface
• Faster speeds channel changing, initial connection, and remote control response

Sling Media claims a completely separate version of the application has been submitted for outside of the USA that also has support for using over 3G. Thanks AT&T, everyone outside of the USA will enjoy 3G Sling streaming. Of course if you own a BlackBerry Bold or Windows Mobile on AT&T, you can also stream your Slingbox over 3G!

Fantastic time-lapse video from photographer Peter Belanger, showing the process for creating the cover of Macworld magazine. Very cool!

For all you people that still hate glossy screens. Apple has added a $50 option for swapping out that reflective screen for a matte one for the 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro. The 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro has had this option since it was introduced.

The black “borderless” infinity bezel around the screen gets swapped with a silver bezel like previous versions of the MacBook Pro.

Apple has dropped 10.5.8 update to OS X Leopard thru Software Update. Among the listed features are resolution for compatibility issues when joining AirPort networks, disappearing monitor resolutions in System Preferences, and Bluetooth reliability.

Note: The update will also upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2 if you are still on version 3.

Continue reading iPhone Tip #51: Use Vonage on iPhone…

Vemedio the developer for a really nice radio recorder app for the Mac has released its first application for the iPhone and iPod touch, called SnowRemote. SnowRemote, $0.99 now available in the App Store enables users to control Snowtape (running on your Mac) wirelessly within their local home network.

Snowtape, $29 has been updated to version 1.2, features thousands of radio stations, search using genres and countries, search by keywords and remotely mark stations as favorite as well as recording tracks and importing them into iTunes.

Google has started a new campaign, “Going Google” that is clearly set directly against Microsoft. Google has launched a series of ads that will begin touting how and why some 3,000 organizations are signing up to use Google apps each day. This campaign will include billboards on four major U.S. highways that will give a new message about Google apps everyday for a month. Microsoft of course is advertising Bing, its search site

Join over 1.75 million businesses that have gone Google.

Each day, thousands of companies are going Google by switching to Google Apps — a web-based suite of messaging and collaboration applications. It’s all hosted by Google, and designed with security and reliability in mind, saving your company the frustrations and hassles of managing traditional IT solutions yourself. Find out how others have switched from Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes to Google Apps.

Learn more about the businesses that have gone Google…

Microsoft of course is advertising Bing, its search site that competes with Google and has signed a deal with Yahoo.

Should get interesting.

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, has resigned from the Apple Board of Directors, announced today. Schmidt has served on the board since August of 2006. Speculation was that this might happen as Google’s new operating system, Chrome OS, Android offering might force the company’s chief executive to resign.

“Eric has been an excellent Board member for Apple, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Apple successful,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board.”

Apple rejected the Google-developed Voice application from the iPhone App Store increasing tensions between the companies. Apple also began pulling third-party Voice applications. As a result, Apple and Google, along with AT&T, are currently the subjects of an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission.

9to5Mac has an interesting post, called Microsoft tries to get iPhone developers to port their apps to Windows Mobile that suggests that Microsoft may be trying to capitalize on the recent App Store rejections and removals.

Seems the folks in Redmond have put together a case study on porting iPhone Apps to Windows Mobile in hopes of attracting the developers who have flocked to the iPhone. There was a time not so long ago when Microsoft boosted of the 18,000 apps available for all the collective models of its Mobile OS. Nowadays, Apple has long surpassed them with over 65,000 iPhone apps and 1.5 Billion downloads.

Continue reading Is Microsoft Trying Capitilze on App Store Rejections?…

The iPhone Dev Team updated their blog to alert iPhone owners that you can safely update to the latest software, OS 3.0.1. It is a fairly straight forward procedure with one little twist.

You can re-use redsn0w v0.8 we released a few weeks ago to jailbreak today’s 3.0.1 update. Just let iTunes update or restore you to official 3.0.1 then run redsn0w. The only “trick” is that when redsn0w asks you to identify the IPSW used, point it at the 3.0 IPSW instead of the 3.0.1 one. After the jailbreak, reinstall ultrasn0w 0.9 if you need the unlock.

Ultrasn0w is still capable of unlocking a 3.0.1 device so your iPhone can accept any SIM card as the 3.0.1 software update does not change your baseband.

Note: Purplesn0w does not work.

OK, it is now August 2nd. While I sit here and ponder all the dropped calls, rejected and removed apps I am wondering where the HELL is the long-waited and promised features – MMS and tethering for the iPhone!

I can buy an inexpensive cell phone that offers MMS, why are we STILL waiting for such a simple feature on an expensive and arguably the best smartphone on the planet? AT&T is it Apple’s fault? Like the rejected and removed apps?

No idea how long these changes were planned for the Apple iPhone Developers site? Apple is attempting to improve relations with developers that submit apps to the App Store by adding new features to the Dev Center website.

Maybe Jobs’ connection to Disney is in play here, a queue status graphic (seen right), allowing developers so idea how long the approval wait may be. Reminds me of the signs you see on the lines at Walt Disney World – “Your wait may be…”

Also there is now a new ‘all issues’ escalation email address, so developers with urgent bug fixes that need to be prioritized can get their questions answered. This was something that the many developers have asked for.

Apple will be asking developers to add keywords for tagging their apps in the App Store. This may be a small way to find apps faster in iTunes.

I think what most developers want to see is CLEAR RULES and a more OPEN App Store, but this is at least a small sign that Apple is trying to improve the App Store and relationships with developers.

Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for Snow Leopard and the Snow Leopard edition of the Mac Box Set.

• Snow Leopard (Upgrade from Leopard): $29
• Snow Leopard Family Pack: $49
• Mac Box Set, Snow Leopard Edition: $169
• Mac Box Set, Snow Leopard Family Pack: $229
• Snow Leopard Server: $499

Order through these links and help support ReelSmart thanks to Amazon’s affiliate program. Thanks for reading ReelSmart.com.

You knew this was coming. Based on “the Kindle Ate My Homework,” a 17-year-old Michigan high school senior is suing Amazon over George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” being deleted from his Kindle. The student bought the book and claimed to have made notes for his class before the ebook was removed from his device without his permission.

The suit, which cites another plaintiff who also lost his copy of the Orwell classic, seeks to prevent Amazon from ever again deleting books from Kindles. It also seeks monetary relief for people who lost work from the incident.

So far Amazon has declined comment on the suit. The company, which refunded the purchase price of Orwell books to people whose copies it deleted, has already said it would not do it again. The company’s CEO Jeff Bezos has already apologized for the incident, calling it “stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles.”

I guess Amazon brought this on themselves. No matter what the outcome of the lawsuit, Amazon will have to take the bad PR on the chin.

Read more at WSJ blog.

According to MobileCrunch blog, they have received an e-mail from AT&T responding to their questions on the report of the FCC letter sent to Apple, AT&T and Google regarding Google Voice apps being rejected and removed from the App Store.

I am still waiting for replies from my emails to Apple and AT&T. Sure seems like AT&T is STILL throwing Apple under the bus as I stated a few days ago.

The response may show us the way AT&T plans on handling the FCC inquiry:
AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it.

To my limited vision, AT&T’s hands are all over the rejection of Google Voice official app and removals of GV Mobile and VoiceCentral that were being sold in the App Store for months. Should be interesting to see if Apple executives want to continue to take the heat from customers, developers and the government for not allowing innovative apps on the iPhone while they are available on competing mobile platforms.

Can Apple stand there are watch the bad PR, the loss of some customers, the loss of developers and tries to explain itself to the government that is already after the for the exclusive deal they have with AT&T? Maybe Apple needs to grow a pair?

Very funny!

Apple has released iPhone OS 3.0.1 via iTunes.

iPhone OS 3.0.1 fixes an SMS vulnerability.

Products compatible with this software update:

• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS

Note: The download weighs in at 297.9MB.