Check out this usatoday.com article. Of interest are:

• The fact that AT&T is paying “about $300 per device”. No wonder the iPhone 3G is superficially cheap!
• The impression that the iPhone made the mobile web “dead simple”. Despite the existence of Nokia and it’s very capable MiniMap browser. But then again, you can’t argue with the results of effective marketing.
• Coverage of AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson, who is credited with AT&T’s cozy relationship with Apple. He’s been lauded as “all for wireless” and having the balls to sign up for what’s currently a “no-brainer” deal.

Surely, Apple’s and AT&T’s efforts to keep the phone locked have been good for the bottom line (which is what any company should push for anyway, just to be clear). But isn’t there a way to make money and “share the wealth”, so to speak?

Handlink’s Wi-Fi Kiosk is an admirable combination of the old and the new.

This coin-op 802.11b/g wireless access point is a throwback to better times, a golden age when the coins in your pocket were good for something other than tossing to a hobo in the street while on your way to buy a $5 coffee and enjoy some “free” Wi-Fi.

The kiosk works like this: drop in some pocket change and you’ll receive a ticket with an access code. When your time is up, you’ll need to go back and feed the meter.

I imagine it’s designed to work in unmanned environments, or to take the heat off a busy Starbucks Barista. I like the cash-only idea, which brings on-the-go access to non credit card holders.

I’m also looking forward to the first hack, perhaps an exploit which causes coins to cascade from the reject slot like some kind of bling-free Vegas slot machine.

Source: Handlink Wi-Fi KIOSK Product Page

The Apple iPhone could be a truly great gaming platform. Huge, bright screen, a processor fast enough to throw around some 3D graphics, motion sensors and — from a developers point of view — a big installed user base.

The only problem is the lack of buttons. A touchscreen keyboard might work OK for typing emails, but for games, where split-second timing is needed to avoid death, or even better, kill some ducks, you need some buttons.

The answer comes in the form of the iControl pad, a standard set of buttons and a D-pad mounted on a case into which the iPhone can slide, hooking up via the dock port.

You won’t get much from the blurry video below, but the developers have already sent out some test units and plan to have a release in July, priced at a reasonable $30.00 USD.

If it works, it might boost the iPhone into the big games league, easily trouncing the PSP and N-Gage, although, unless somebody ports Mario Kart across, it’ll have a hard time catching the DS.

However, with those accelerometers inside, those people who play Streetfighter II by swinging the joypad all over the place might finally avoid ridicule.

Source: iControlPad Product Page

This rather clunky-looking Apple iPhone add-on brings real GPS to the soon-to-be-obsolete original iPhone.

Consisting a Holux M1000b GPS unit, a custom dock-connector cable and some software which requires a jailbroken iPhone to run.

Here’s a demo video below in which the GPS seems to work fine, updating your position on the iPhone’s built in Google Maps application every second or so:

What it also shows is that you’ll need a minimum of three hands to use it. Darn. I only have two… har har.

You can check out some screenshots over at the company’s blog that show the software turning the iPhone into a big compass, which would seem to be very useful if it, too, didn’t require the big cable and box hanging off the sleek slab.

$100.00 USD for the cable and the GPS unit, $16.00 USD for the cable alone. Good grief Charlie Brown! That seems a little high.

I say wait for the G3 iPhone. Thoughts?

I’ve mentioned once or twice (maybe even more) about how difficult it can be to enter text information on cell phones. Rawr!

Even phones like my BlackBerry Curve with a full QWERTY keyboard have their quirks. Google thinks it is annoying, too.

The big “G” has been studying how to make filling out search fields in its mobile search products better. Its answer involves fewer “clicks.” Exactly.

Google actually conducted an entire study on this subject. It is called “Query Suggestions for Mobile Search: Understanding Usage Patterns.”

In a blog posting, software engineer Maryam Kamvar writes:

“In an effort to help our mobile users, we studied the effect of incorporating a feature like Google Suggest on mobile phones with 9-key keypads. We found that these users respond favorably to query suggestions: Users who were shown suggestions while typing their query rated their overall enjoyment higher and perceived workload lower than users who were not shown suggestions. Users who were shown suggestions also reduced their overall key presses by half. Surprisingly, the time to enter a query for these users was not significantly less than the average time needed to enter queries for users who were not shown any suggestions.”

I’ve noticed that Google has added suggestions to search queries on the iPhone. When you begin typing, it will offer several suggestions that you can choose rather than typing out the entire word. This is very helpful and speeds up the time it takes to fire off your search.

Improvements in usability such as this are always appreciated.

I have to point out that in helping you find your search queries all the faster, Google probably hopes that you spend that saved time clicking on the ads it has served you in the process.

Thoughts?

Hop-on earlier today launched a no-frills, $10.00 USD phone that the company says is ideal as a backup phone, when traveling abroad, or for people interested in only making calls.

The Hop 1800 is a prepaid cellular phone with no display. The device works with more than 40 U.S. wireless carriers, including AT&T, Cingular, and T-Mobile. Hop-on also offers wireless service.

The concept behind the new device is to offer a phone to people who need it only to talk. U.S. travelers in Europe or Asia, for example, could buy a local SIM card to avoid expensive roaming fees, or people who can’t afford subscription cellular service can use the device with a prepaid plan.

The device comes in two dual-band models, one 850/1,900 MHz and the other 900/1,900 MHz for Europe and Asia. The phone weighs less than 3 ounces and offers four hours of talk time, according to Hop-on. While the low price makes the phone disposable, to encourage recycling Hop-on offers a $5 rebate for returning the phone.

The Hop 1800 is sold through retailers, such as drug and convenience stores, and to businesses looking for a “unique branding opportunity,” Hop-on said. The company can imprint sports team or corporate logos on the device.

“Instead of another coffee mug, offering a branded cell phone is a memorable branding opportunity that will literally keep you in touch with your customers”

-Peter Michaels, chief executive of Hop-on.

Hop-on develops and markets mobile phones and accessories for emerging markets.

The company also makes mobile-gambling software that allows users to stream live interactive feeds from legal jurisdictions to play poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

Source: Hop-On Press Release.

Hey Apple iPhone fans, a few more reports have surfaced about the 3G version of the Apple iPhone. w00t!

This tasty round of nuggets tells us that the iPhone will include the ability to GeoTag photos (which means it will have GPS), users can toggle the 3G radio on and off, and I have some predictions on exactly when the iPhone will be available.

Continue reading my gadget loving friends as I have compiled a nice round-up of some recent wireless 3G and Apple iPhone 2.0 news that’s been circulating around the blogosphere.

GPS: According to Engadget, screen shots of the iPhone 2.0 beta software shows a “location services” feature. The two different screen grabs seen show GPS ability paired with the iPhone’s Google Maps application, as well as the ability to “set location” in the camera application.

These features are widely available on many other phones with GPS, including the N95 from Nokia.

However learning with somewhat more certainty that the next version of the Apple iPhone will have GPS is encouraging. I particularly like to be able GeoTag photos when traveling.

3G Switch: Another screen shot (some think it was faked, others disagree) that has been found in the iPhone 2.0 beta offers users the ability to switch the 3G radio on and off.

This is a vital feature. Why? Battery life. Having an active 3G connection drains cell phone batteries much faster than when they are in EDGE-only areas.

For example with my Nokia N95 battery will last two days in EDGE coverage ares, but if I travel into a 3G region, the battery becomes drained in just one day.

Since 3G has such an impact on battery life, this is a nice convenience feature to have and can help prevent people from being stranded with a dead phone.

Availability: Earlier this week, it was widely reported that the iPhone will be announced on June 9 and will be available “immediately”.

I’m thinking that the Apple iPhone will 99.9%, without-a-doubt be announced during Steve Jobs’ WWDC keynote speech on June 9 and the 3G iPhone 2.0 will be available for sale in stores on June 18.

Only time will tell… but I would love to know your thoughts on it.

I wonder if we should start placing bets on the release of the 3G… hehe… what do you think?

How would you like to have super internet surfing at 1.2 gigabytes per second speeds from a small dish on your home window? Thanks to Japan, they’ve just launched a satellite that carries new technology to boost internet speeds for homes and businesses around the world. Last Saturday, at 555pm, the WINDS satellite was launched from the Japanese island of Tanagashima that promises such speeds. That piece of expensive tin can is a a joint project of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

I wonder if they will charge by the second in Japanese yen, ouch.

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