One of the fundamental reasons we love gadgets is because they help us do things better and smarter while we go about our days. But there are considerably fewer gadgets that help us go about our nights. Sure, there are some, but by and large the activity of sleeping is one that is untouched by technology and thus unoptimized. Enter WakeMate.

The WakeMate wristband uses Actigraphy to monitor your sleep cycles and pinpoints the precise moment when you should wake up, in a twenty minute window set to your specifications. (Otherwise, my "optimal wake up time" would be sometime around noon, seven days a week.)

But that's only half of it. The WakeMate collects your nightly sleep data and over time develops a detailed analysis of your sleep schedule.

Though I'm not sure I need quantify things with a "sleep score"—Sleep? That's where I'm a viking—it's hard not to get excited about the prospect of sleeping smarter with the help of gadgets like WakeMate. The WakeMate is set to ship by the end of the month and is available for preorder now. [WakeMate Thanks Mikey!]

Posting a "happy new years" message on Mistwalker's site, Sakaguchi says Mistwalker "are also working on a project for iPhone", and that it "should be released soon". Blue Dragon iPhone, perhaps?

[mistwalker]

I got robbed on the subway in Brooklyn about 2 weeks ago, my iPhone (and some other crap)was taken. I called the police who were very helpful , they searched the area for a little bit, follow protocol and all that fun stuff.

Anyways, fast forward to yesterday when I get a email from Apple that someone had filed a request for a replacement phone due to a software malfunction from Apple CareService. I suspected that since I made an appointment with an Apple genius before, the Serial number on the phone was associated with my email. I called Apple to confirm this, after Apple and AT&T transferred me back and forth a few times I had the confirmation from the two companies the phone was mine , I had the address the service request was coming from (in the email) and a phone number (from an Apple rep).

I'm so excited that I can get my phone back! Until the cops arrive at my house, they tell me that since I didn't file a police report they can't do anything. I didn't file it because in order to file one, I would have had to go to a precinct downtown (like an hour away) look through books of pictures to try to ID the thief, whose face I only saw from the side for a millisecond. And really, what would a police report do for an iPhone that was stolen on a NYC subway a week before Christmas?(plus i had a final that night) The two officers also told me that even if I had a police report it would still be up to Apple and AT&T to decide how to proceed with the situation.

So I call AT&T... and over the course of 12 hours I speak to a bunch of people who are all very sorry that this is the situation I'm in, but their hands are tied — they have to honor the warranty and it does not matter that it's clear the phone is mine. They would need the authorities to tell them to do otherwise.

So I head to the police precinct where an officer calls the rep I spoke to last (aka the authorities speaking to Apple). The officer spends about an hour on the phone with Apple telling them that once the current holder of the phone ships the phone back to Apple, they should ship me the replacement. He gets the same answer I got—they will not do anything, they do not care that the person who has the phone currently is using a stolen phone and is not using it with AT&T (AT&T confirmed the phone # I got from the Apple rep is NOT an AT&T number).

It's not even about the phone anymore (I bought a blackberry—$600 is a TAD ridiculous for a new iPhone) its the principle of the situation, basically Apple is siding with someone who will most likely jailbreak the phone as opposed to helping a loyal customer (I've been using Apple products forever—iPods, Macs and iPhones (since the first gen)) who legally bought the phone from Apple and is using it with AT&T.

The whole situation is just illogical to me.

Yeah, illogical is a good word. Absurd is another. Does anyone out there know if this is purely about not filing a police report, or is there some other reason why Apple is being such a dick about this? [Consumerist]

UPDATE: Shortly after sending the email to Consumerist, Alisa obtained a police report. Apple still refuses to do anything. Perhaps sending an email to sjobs@apple.com might remedy this situation, as this email is widely known to lead to a high level customer care service. Steve has even been known to handle some issues personally.

We've already seen that the newest iPod Touch has a Broadcom BCM4329 chip with support for 802.11n and FM transmission—something missing in our most recent iPhone generation—but we've also learned that the hardware is dormant, perhaps to be brought to life by later additions in software support.

A recent Apple job posting teases that such software support might come soon along with some kind of upgrade allowing for 802.11n capabilities in the next gen iPhone, because it's asking for a Wi-Fi software engineer to join the iPhone team and bring experience in:

• Implementation of 802.11 a/b/g/n & related specifications.
• 802.11i/802.1x Security protocols
• Good understanding of wireless RF technologies & co-existence issues of 802.11 PHYs with other Wireless interfaces like Bluetooth.

Ooh la la. Yes, it's just a job posting and pure speculation regarding what we'll see in the next generation of iPhones, but addition of Wireless N capabilities and support are a logical addition and seem rather likely.[Apple—Thanks, A!]

Its full details will be shared with us next week at CES, but the system will consist of a hardware scanner and a corresponding app. So while the iPhone's API restrictions will prevent you from scanning your card directly into Safari for your next web purchase, there are surely some remote pay possibilities in the works similar to what we've seen from Square—not to mention, it'll pave the way for an entire generation of even lazier credit card theft. [Pocket-Lint via SlashGear]

The case was a bit odd from the start, in that it hinged on the potential for hearing loss, rather than actual, inflicted hearing loss. It was also odd beacuse iPods, which are evidently capable of pumping out about 125dB of sound through a pair of those crappy white earbuds, already have a volume-limiting function. This is in addition to normal volume controls, which apparently don't provide enough guidance to users to prevent them from techno-blasting their eardrums into mucousy, deaf meat-nuggets. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision from last year that iPod could be, and generally are, used safely, and dismissed the lawsuit.

But as my grandfather always used to say, at the center of every frivolous class action technology lawsuit, there lies a grain of truth: iPods and iPhones, if you turn them up too loud, can damage your hearing. So don't, k? [Ars Technica]

But then again, I'm a Lego sucker. Big time. So, while the Lego Photo application is obviously not my dream virtual Lego construction app, I definitely like it very much. It's elegant, well designed, and the results—which convert your images into pretty 1x1 Lego mosaics—are pretty.

I wish they add an option to give you a list of bricks needed to complete the mosaic in real life. [iTunes—Thanks John]

It also comes with a free cleaning cloth and plastic screen protector (which I will not be using). It is, unfortunately a little loose, as I think it was meant to accommodate a 1st gen iPhone, too but nothing unbearable on my 3GS. A bigger issue for you may be the bulkiness, and the grip being so enhanced that this case will not easily slip into tighter pockets.

I like it a lot more than I expected I would. I also find myself compelled to bite into it. This could end up being a bit of an issue.

First, here are a few of the worst, collected by Intern Kyle and myself. It's a list of disappointment, of broken promises, and most importantly, of no nudity.

Of course, you can pick up your iPhone right now and go to a porn site. It's a smartphone. It has the internet. Some sites even have iPhone-optimized video streaming and navigation, because apparently, just like on every other device that's been connected to the internet, people use their smartphone for porn. This is an inevitability.

And Apple has a ratings system in the App Store. It has a 17+ rating, for apps with violent, crude or sexual content—or app that have a browser function, which could be used to access objectionable content. Most of the apps above are 17+, which means that if parents so choose, they can block their iPhone-having children from even being able to download them. It follows that they could do the same for 18+ apps, so why haven't they?

I can understand Apple not wanting to get into the porn business, which, by taking 30% of developers' revenue, I guess they would sort of be doing. But the current setup just doesn't make any sense. You can buy an app with a built-in browser, which can access the most horrible smut on the web, and get a 17+ rating. But if you link said app to one of those sites, and disable general browsing, suddenly it's verboten. Again, I can understand how we ended up here, but the results, as you've seen, are depressing.

It's fair to say that most people just assume there are porn apps, when there really aren't. But there are hundreds of apps that look like porn apps, cost money, and that are, effectively, bait-and-switch scams. Apple can fix this in two ways: they can open the floodgates and just let people have their real porn apps, which would effectively kill these in-between semi-porn apps, or they can revise how the App Store works: by instituting a 24-hour open return policy for paid apps, like the Android Market has, people would simply return these worthless apps, and developers, now unable to trick people into giving them boner money, would stop making them. They would tumble down the rankings and into oblivion.

Anyway, no matter what Apple does, people will continue to look at photos of naked humans on their iPhones. It may make the company squirm, but there's no reason to pretend it's not happening, and to let scammers screw up the App Store more than they already have. So do something, Apple! The fate of the world depends on it, a little!

As with their aforementioned Call of Duty clone, Gameloft's latest shooter borrows from the best; while it's unlikely we'll see Master Chief's shiny green armor splash across the iPhone's slick display anytime soon, N.O.V.A. offers the next best thing.

Loved
Hand-held Halo: Give any of N.O.V.A.'s screenshots even a passing glance, and it's immediately obvious where the developers gleaned their inspiration. From its Brute-like baddies to a sidearm that'd look right at home in Master Chief's holster, this one's busting with Halo call-outs. Dig a bit deeper and you'll discover Warthog-wannabe vehicles and an intel-reporting cyber-hottie that shares more than a passing resemblance with a certain blue-beamed babe from Bungie's franchise. Whether you see these similarities as respectful tributes or blatant ripoffs, you'll be hard pressed to deny their appeal; coupled with amazing audio, visuals, animations and effects-weapon reloads are a highlight-they complement one of the platform's most polished and engrossing experiences.

Lock, Load, Touch: Supporting N.O.V.A.'s excellent presentation are rock solid controls that keep things simple, satisfying, and super intuitive. A responsive virtual pad moves your character, while finger-swiping the screen controls the camera and your cross hairs. Additionally, a well balanced aim-assist ensures you'll plug plenty of alien menaces between the eyes without ever feeling like the game's doing it for you. Tossing grenades, using stasis power (Maybe the devs played some Dead Space, too?), and jumping also feel natural and never frustrating. While the Wii still struggles to find the FPS sweet spot with its unconventional controls, it seems the iPhone has already mastered this challenge.

Hated
Head-shot to Originality: From it's generic name, which stands for Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, to its forgettable sci-fi story, N.O.V.A. feels a bit uninspired. Objectives, such as activating computer terminals and clearing rooms of bad guys before proceeding, are things we've been doing for years. And, despite their stunning visuals, the levels continuously sting with deja vu as you trek across catwalks and ride elevators in familiar-feeling space stations. Although its production values are top notch and its gameplay engaging, N.O.V.A. sometimes feels like it fell off the "sc-fi shooter" assembly line.

While N.O.V.A. benefits by cribbing from some of the best console shooters, it also sticks too closely to many of the genre's growing-stale conventions. Still, its excellent gameplay and polished presentation easily make it the premier FPS on the platform, and even a worthy competitor to the PSP's and DS's best shooters. A 13-chapter solo campaign-complete with three difficulty settings-and 4-player Wi-Fi and local multi-player also make it a steal at around seven space bucks.

N.O.V.A. was developed and published by Gameloft for iPhone on December 17th. Retails for $6.99. A code to download the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game's campaign on medium, difficulty and participated in several multi-player matches over Wi-Fi.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

For the full directory of Gizmodo's Essential iPhone Apps for 2009, click here. Here are the best of the month, and what we've added to the directory:

December's Best Apps

For a single-page view, click here.

Essential App Directory Inductees

As you can see, it was a hell of a month in the App Store—we're adding a fair few of the month's best to the Essential Directory.

Pastebot, for giving the iPhone the clipboard it deserves, and coming so close to greatness (lack of backgrounding capabilities are the only thing holding it back, and not the dev's fault). $3

N.O.V.A, for finally showing the world how to make a proper FPS on the iPhone. $7.

Mint, because as far as personal finance apps go, things don't get much better than this. With the last few updates, it's become basically perfect. Free.

Dragon Dictation, for getting voice recognition right on the first try, and providing an extremely useful tool for text input. Free.

Gorilla Cam, for offering most of the features of a paid camera app for free.

Ustream, for giving iPhone users live video streaming capabilities they can actually use, and for not neglecting older iPhones. Free.

Bing, for providing decent, well-packaged alternatives to services that Google previously dominated, and even improving on some of them—I'm looking at you, maps. Free.

And that's it! What counts as an essential iPhone app changes all the time, and so should our guide: If we've missed anything huge, or you've got a much better suggestion for a particular type of app, let us know, or say so in the comments. We'll be updating this thing pretty frequently, and a million Gizmodo readers can do a better job at sorting through the app mess than a single Gizmodo editor. Enjoy!

[Patently Apple via 9to5Mac]

"Thai, salad or ramen?" It's lunchtime on a typical Thursday and it strikes us that millions of people all over the world are pondering the same question. This question is our launchpad, making us part of the thousands of people who wanted to build an iPhone app for "that."

I'm a product and marketing guy with some design and coding skills. Roy is a developer with some business savvy. Combined, we make a great team and complement each other's skills well, but we only started working with Objective-C last year, like many others who are trying out iPhone development. We've already built an app or two, so we're familiar with the language and frameworks. However, as with all new projects, you usually have to do a little research to understand how to approach the different challenges...especially in a world defined by 320x480 pixels.

For the longest time, we've played around with the idea of creating an app for fun. After discarding a couple of good ideas (because they were too complicated or a quick search in the App Store showed that someone else already does it well), lunchtime lands us on a simple, fun idea to help people stuck between decisions.

But while most people want to create a great iPhone app, my friend and I go one step further, making a pact to finish the project within a weekend—or realistically, our app would never get completed.

On a piece of paper, we scribble out two-three wireframes and developed an outline for some basic screens. We decide on an app that offers up to three multiple choices. You can write your own answers—for example, Thai, salad or ramen—and you simply pick a randomized choice to see the answer to your decision. We decide to use playing cards as the theme. Immediately, we circle the "must have" features (first priority), then the "like to have" features (last priority), and finally the features that needed more investigating. We leave lunch on Thursday with a little homework and a plan to get together on Saturday.

My homework includes determining the look, feel and interaction on each screen. Roy needs to research some of the Xcode features we haven't had a chance to play with yet in our "real" jobs, mainly animations and randomization.

On Saturday morning, we meet at a local coffee shop that had free Wi-Fi, claim a large table so we can sit side-by-side and grab the first of many large cups of coffee. Then we create a shared Dropbox folder for this project—a Basic account is free and comes with 2GB of storage. The Dropbox is important because it allows us to multitask on the same project with any/all changes synchronizing in real time. For larger projects, you may want to consider GitHub.

We pull up a more detailed outline of what we want to accomplish for our app as well as basic wireframes. Given that we only have a weekend to complete this app, we decide to focus only on the "must have" features. A developer can always issue feature updates at a later date to include the "nice to have" features.

Going screen-by-screen, we detail the elements on the page, style treatments, layout, timing, etc. We also discuss what Roy learned about animating the card's flip motion, since this was one of the core functionality of the app. We briefly review the Quartz 2D and Core Animation libraries, since we had not previously done any work with those. We even discuss using a UIWebView to render the animation within WebKit's CSS. Ultimately, we find a simple solution using standard UIViews and UIButtons. The UIView class has some animation class methods, and one of the built in transitions is a flip effect. As for the randomization, we knew most languages provide a random function, and Objective-C is no exception. For purposes of this app, all we wanted was a simple method to randomize an array. Roy found a couple of examples of this, but one that stood out was over at Dr. Touch's website. He describes an approach with which to implement a class extension method so you can easily shuffle any array.

We dive into our respective MacBook Pros with a Borg-like focus on our individual areas of expertise. I open up Photoshop and began building screens. The first screen is the default image. This is the very first screen people see when the app starts and begins loading. Apps can be built in either portrait or landscape view. If you choose to build your app in landscape view like ours, you still need to create a default image that displays in portrait view. Simply create your landscape view and rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise (depending on whether you want left or right landscape view). Now the default image loads in portrait view but since your images is rotated, the user will twist the iPhone to landscape view.

I then spend the next couple of hours creating comps, background images, buttons, card (front and back) and info page. I also spend some time focusing on the app icon. This is obviously the "face" of your app—a badge of honor—so you'll want to put careful thought into the icon imagery. Remember, you'll need the icon in both the 57x57 and 512x512 sizes. Once completed, I upload it to Dropbox so that Roy could start using the creative elements.

By the time I glance back to Roy's laptop, he's created a new Xcode project and is already playing around with code to animate green boxes that flip on a click. While he's working on the prototype in the iPhone Simulator, I grab the info.plist file and edit some of the settings - remove status bar, app display name, remove gloss from icon, etc. We then decide it's time for us to add some real images to our prototype. We put in the background image, the front and back of the cards and the navigation buttons. The positioning is off (by a lot) but the cards look good and it's flipping smoothly. We do some bad math, but eventually get the exact spacing and positioning that we want for each card. We play around with the timing of the flip, set the on/off states for the navigation button and now it's feeling pretty good.

Seeing the pieces come together in the app shows me that there are a couple of images that needs fine tuning. I make changes as Roy begins working on the customizing screen and info screen. The customize screen is the place that allows people to type in whatever they want to show on the face of the card. We limit it to 25 characters... anything more than that and it writes over/outside of the card. We talk through this screen a bit more in detail. The interaction in each field, how the keyboard acts, and how we save before going back to the cards. We spend a bit of time in Interface Builder wiring up exactly how we want this page to look and act. The info page is completely optional, but we like to have it because it includes additional ways to reach us.

Wow, seven hours and fours large coffees later, we have a lot done, but there's still lots more to go. What we have now is an app that fires up; displays a default loading screen; gets people to a screen that shows three cards (back of the card showing); they can select any/all of the cards and the cards flips to show the front of the card; they can click on a button labeled "Try Again" to reset the cards; they can click on a button labeled "Customize" that opens a new screen; the "Customize" screen allows you to enter text into 3 separate fields with a max of 25 characters in each field; and you can get to the Info screen. We spend the last hour of the day together cleaning up code and discussing what we have left to accomplish tomorrow.

On Sunday, we meet at another coffee shop with free Wi-Fi. Coffee first. We feel like we're about 80 percent done before we start working again. The major work left for the day ahead is saving the custom text, displaying the custom text on the face of the card, and randomizing the text. We had additional functionality ideas, but we kept ourselves honest, and kept the scope creep to a minimum. One example of this was the method for storing/saving the custom text on each of the three cards. Roy could have created a sqlite database or used Core Data, but the easiest approach was to just use the built in standardUserDefaults object found in the NSUserDefaults class. Using this method stores the values to the app's settings just fine for our needs and saves us a lot of time.

While Roy is working on those items, it's a perfect opportunity for me to prepare some of the things we'll need later that day. When you submit an app to the App Store, it's not a simple upload of a file. Apple requires the following information for every app submission: Application Name, Application Description, Device Requirements, Primary and Secondary Category, Subcategories, Copyright, App Rating, Keywords, SKU Number, Application URL, Screen shots, Marketing Description, Support URL, Support Email Address, End User License Agreement, and Pricing / Availability.

So, I prep all the app submission information while Roy is busy coding away, first searching the App Store for similar apps and their names. We like "Stuck?" and luckily no one else is using it, so we go with that name. I create the app description, add some keywords, set the price and determine where we want to sell this app (just in the USA, certain countries or worldwide). Then I register a domain name (stuckapp.com) to be used for the application URL/support URL and linked it to a newly created Tumblr account. I also created the required support email address. The other items you'll want to prepare in advance are: screenshots (up to five), a large icon (512x512) and, if this is your first time submitting an app, any certificates/provisioning profiles.

Things tend to take longer than you expect, and even though we're basically finished with the app by early Sunday afternoon, we still spend a couple of more hours tweaking it and preparing everything for the App Store submission—cleaning code and fine tuning as we go along. We spend the majority of the day on one computer pushing pixels, formatting, and ensuring the timing and user interaction was exactly as we both wanted. After almost five hours of work on Sunday, we have the app that we both envisioned. We begin testing in the iPhone simulator and then on devices (both iPhone and iPod touch) for stability and functionality. Again, being a simple app, it was easy and quick to test.

After proving its stability, we decide to publish Stuck? to the App Store. My first attempt at publishing another app by myself took two days—attempt, fail, Google, attempt, fail, Google more, etc.—until it finally worked. But the second time around was much easier and faster. We copy/paste all the text prepared earlier and then added the screenshots and images. All in all, we have our app uploaded in about 15 minutes. At this point, we're excited, hungry and tired, but also quite proud that we completed a solid app over a weekend in a coffee shop.

We had our fingers crossed that the App Store would approve our app. And, as amazed as we were that we could finish an app over the weekend, the real surprise came after we submitted to the App Store. We submitted the app on Sunday evening. It changed status from Waiting for Review‚ to In Review, on Monday. On Tuesday, we received an email informing us that our app was Ready for Sale. Approved in two days! That has to be a record‚ especially before the holidays.

Especially after talking about building an app together for so long, like so many people reading this article, I must say, the fulfillment is immense. We finally did it.

TIPS FOR COMPLETING AN APP OVER A WEEKEND

1. You can't do it yourself. You can, but you wouldn't want to. Ideally, you want to partner with someone with a different, complementary set of skills. Partner with someone who knows and respects your area of expertise, but is even more confident and knowledgeable about their own skills. Good communication is implied in an effort such as this so you'll go through periods of rapid fire questions bouncing ideas off each other and then periods of silence as you work on separate tasks. There's a lot to get done and multitasking will be key.

2. Multitask. As suggested above, working with someone who complements your own skills allows you to multitask. What do I mean? For example, in the beginning, once you scratch out a wireframe of an idea, one person can begin coding - putting placeholder buttons and blocks into place. At the same time, the other person can create comps and then cut out each element to use when they get to the right stage. Also, at the tail end of the project, one person can wrap up the project and clean the code while the other prepares all the images and marketing copy for the App Store submission process.

3. Do at least one thing well. Unlike most desktop applications or web project, you have to remember that most good mobile apps fulfill a need that can come anywhere, any time. Your app idea doesn't have to be complicated, but good apps seem to do one or more of these things well:
- Solves a problem; - Is entertaining; - Serves a specific niche; - Engages the user; and/or - Takes advantage of the unique features of the iPhone.

4. Set goals and milestones. Whether your goal is speed to market, just to gain experience, or to build the best damn app that does (blank), clearly state your goals. Initially, it will help you focus on the areas that are important/critical for success. It will also help you later down the road as you face hard decisions about "must-have" features and "like-to-have" features. Remember, you can always issue feature updates so focus on the "must-have" items and do whatever is necessary to meet that goal.

5. Get a Dropbox account. For small- to medium-sized projects, you cannot beat Dropbox. It allows you to store, share and synchronize files with others. Stop sharing files back and forth on your USB memory stick. Get a Dropbox account and share files in real time. We abused the hell out of our free, shared Dropbox folder and it worked flawlessly. For larger projects, you might want to give GitHub a try.

6. Test. Test. Test. When you see the finish line, it's easy to gloss over the important step of testing your app. Test in your iPhone simulator, but also try to get your hands on an iPod touch and of course on an iPhone as well. Depending on the complexity of your app, you might want to create a test plan to make sure all the use cases and functional tasks are covered. The last thing you want is to have an app in the App Store that crashes or doesn't work as expected. You may never recover from all the ego-shattering feedback.

7. Understand the App Store submission process. Apple provides a PDF document detailing to submission process. But that document is only available for registered developers. If you've already registered, read that document thoroughly before you begin the upload process. It will give you a good idea of what's involved, but also what you'll need to prepare in advance. Apple also provides some good tips for app store submission and approval .

Thanks to David Quinlan for sharing his story and advice with us. If his narrative has compelled you to try out Stuck?, it's $1 at the App Store. And, of course, share war stories of your own long weekends writing apps in the comments. [Stuck]

Did a Genius drop your MacBook and explode it into a thousand pieces? Try to exorbitantly charge you for a repair that should've been free? Or just act like a total bastard?

The most horrific true story wins free pizza as a consolation to sop up your tears. Leave 'em in the comments or email me with the subject "Genius Bar Horror Stories."

Addressing network congestion as the result of iPhone users utilizing data services exactly as you'd expect them to, O2's CEO Ronan Dunne told the FT (via AllThingsD):

Where we haven't met our own high standards then there's no question, we apologise to customers for that fact,

Now, remember AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega's qualified admission about the general crappiness of the company's network in some major cities:

[It's] performing at levels below our standards.

So far, so familiar. Dunne takes the next step in what appears to be a step-by-step guide for carrier mea culpas, and claims that it's really not a huge deal:

But it would be wrong to say O2 has failed its customers en masse

Which, again, sounds extremely familiar. AT&T?

We have 98.68 percent nationwide voice retainability, which means that the difference between AT&T and the industry leader is less than 2/10 of a percentage point on this important metric.

Finally, users get a ray of hope. Vague hope, but hope nonetheless:

[Dunne] said "any short-term blip" in O2 's "network reputation" would be "more than addressed" by three solutions to the difficulties.

which corresponds rather neatly to:

This is going to get fixed," Mr. de la Vega said. "In both of those markets, I am very confident that you're going to see significant progress.

But it's not just the PR damage control that runs parallel here, it's the entire situation. O2, like AT&T, was the first carrier in its country to offer the iPhone, and the only one for quite a long time. iPhone users' increased data use was unprecedented in both markets, and brought the companies infrastructures, which were previously thought to be robust, to their knees. The next analog is how they somehow failed to predict this: they've known how data-hungry iPhone users are from the start, and they've been watching sales climb at a steady rate. So why weren't these carriers, two of the largest iPhone providers in the world, able to keep up?

That comes down to the last, most important parallel: they're both cheap. Like pretty much every carrier! Where they go from here looks like it could be different though, with AT&T hinting at "incentives" to tamp down data use, and O2 admitting outright that this is an infrastructure issue that needs to be solved, which counts for something.

To be fair, it is the iPhone that caused their problems, with a potent combination of broad appeal and transparent, heavy data use. It's just the carriers' fault that they couldn't foresee that, or that they just didn't care. [FT via AllThingsD, WSJ]

Of course not. They are just two apps loaded with photos of the other kind of tits, boobies, and pussies:

Still, I find it ironic that Apple censored the app titles to "T**s and Boobies" and "P***y Lovers", yet allowed the icons to say exactly that, and the descriptions to be like the one above or this one:

These tits and boobies are wide exposed and open to nature. You can see them as God intended to be viewed in their real forms.

I wonder how many people will fall into the trap and buy these apps. Oh, wait, you jumped to see the article, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU? [Krapps]

I'm talking on my Bluetooth
making deals and shit
no cords (?) are clashing
so my hands are free to knit.

Sold. [Obamapacman]

A user on the German apfeltalk forums ordered an 8GB iPhone 3G, and while the handset was what he was expecting, the packaging suggested it contained an 8GB version of the latest model, the 3GS. As you know, it's only available in 16GB and 32GB options, so either the box info contained a typo, or Apple accidentally got its new packaging mixed up with the old.

User .David commented on the forums (translated via Google Translate):

"Seems to be an iPhone 3G (back and no compass, FW) 3.0.1 on it. However, the packaging is clearly designed for an iPhone 3G [S] 8GB. Ordered was a refurbished 3G iPhone 8GB.

Vote: who have a refurbished iPhone 3G in a new packaging of the packaged iPhone 3G [S] 8GB, because the enhancement is clearly new. Which clearly indicates that the sale of the iPhone 3G [S] 8GB immediately imminent."

It's not the craziest rumor we've ever heard, considering the 3G model is now over 18 months old, and Apple will be gearing up to launch a fourth model in June. They can't have three different models on the market at once, after all. As rumored, Apple will be holding an event on the 26th of January, and if this 8GB iPhone 3GS will rear its head anywhere, it'll be there. [Apfeltalk forums via iHackintosh]

From Technologizer's round-up of pre-iPhone iPhone coverage, here's some of the most of tragicomically wrong specurumorbobulation:

• An Apple phone's functions could be accessed hassle-free with the iPod's scroll wheel, and the numbers could work with a slide-out keyboard or a simple touchpad system on the screen.

• The click-wheel is closer to the bottom of the device with the screen taking a vertical orientation. The click-wheel portion of the device reportedly slides down to reveal a traditional numeric dial-pad underneath. The front is black, while the back is chrome like the current iPod.

• Two battery design (with single charger) - one for playing music, the other for phone functions.

• The first will be little more than an iPod Nano with basic phone capabilities while the latter will boast more advanced smartphone functions including real-time IM using Apple's iChat platform (and by proxy, AOL and Jabber).

• AppleBerry–a combination iPod/BlackBerry: Apple Computer and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion might be working on a product together based on the advice of their common partner, Intel. The pairing combines Apple's design expertise with RIM's relationships with carriers and handset makers.

Okay, altogether now: Ahahahaha.

But wait. Check out these bits from a piece by NYT's John Markoff from 2002:

And now come signs that Mr. Jobs means to take Apple back to the land of the handhelds, but this time with a device that would combine elements of a cellphone and a Palm-like personal digital assistant.

But industry analysts see evidence that Apple is contemplating what inside the company is being called an "iPhone."

But analysts and people close to the company say that the plan is under way and that the evidence is manifest in the features and elements of the new version of the Macintosh operating system.

He didn't just report the iPhone would be called the iPhone and be a real smartphone, he even got that it would use part of OS X. (Update: I misread, and gave him just a little bit too much credit.) Five years before it was announced. Whoa, right?

The broader point of all is this one I made rounding up all of the current Apple Tablet rumors. We all might've "known" the iPhone was coming, but nobody had any idea what it was really like, which turned out to be a good thing—an iPodphone doesn't sound all that great. Maybe it'll be the same story with the tablet. I hope so, I like surprises. [Technologizer, Image: © 2004 eye//candy]