The Price: $25

The Verdict: Works as advertised. In our tests, it charged our iPhone 3G from 10% to 60% in about an hour, after which charging stopped altogether because the pack was out of juice. We then used another pack to take our iPhone from 60% to 100% in about another hour. Great for emergency days when you're low on power from a frantic 3G browsing session earlier that morning.

The only complaint we'd have is that unlike other chargers that wrap around the iPhone to secure itself in place, the Power Station only connects via the dock. This results in a flimsy connection that might snap off if you're not careful. So be careful and don't stick the phone in your pocket when this is docked.

At a price of $25, it's the cheapest iPhone battery pack that we've seen. Despite its drawbacks (only charges about half the phone's battery and is sort of flimsy when connected), we'd still recommend it as a backup battery for emergencies. [Brando]

Side note: The original unit Brando sent us was defective and would alternate between charging state and plugged-in state, eventually going to DRAINING state. If you get one of these, call them up and get a replacement as it's obviously not supposed to drain your phone.

THIS IS NO JOKE...DO NOT BUY THIS APP AND APPLE PLEASE REMOVE THIS FROM THE APP STORE....APPLE MUST MUST MUST START TO SCREEN THESE FAKE APPS AND RIDICULOUS SCAMS.

Dear Lee5279xx,

No, Lee, this is not a scam. The application clearly said what it did and—if you are telling the truth—you went ahead and clicked on "BUY." That's not a scam. That's you being a moron.

Still, you've got a point. After all the fuss about only allowing good quality developers into the iPhone application store, the whole thing is loaded with crap. Crap with no real functionality, crap with bad design, crap with horrible icons. Except a few quality applications, the screening process is obviously useless. The I'm Rich application is just an extreme example that highlights what's wrong with the store, no matter how good it is in other aspects.

Still, dear Lee5279xx, we hope you can cancel that charge. Dummy.

Lots of love,
j.

[Digg, Thanks Marius]

He says he found the URL (https://iphone-services.apple.com/clbl/unauthorizedApps) "tucked away in a configuration file deep inside CoreLocation" while doing a forensic examination of the iPhone 3G. It appears to be reserved for disabling actually malicious apps, not ones that Apple just doesn't like and might've yanked from the store. After all, no apps have shown up the list yet, and NetShare, the tethering app that is currently pulled from the store remains operational on all the phones we have it installed on, even after a sync.

But effectively invading one's phone is different than removing something from their virtual store shelves. If they ever use this exceptional—maybe egregious—power, Apple would have to explain why. The standard silence simply wouldn't cut it. [iPhone Atlas via MacRumors]

T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced today the continued expansion of its next-generation wireless network with the launch of 3G service in Las Vegas. The company plans to expand its 3G network to at least 20 additional markets by the end of 2008.

T-Mobile has invested more than $37.5 million in infrastructure and spectrum to bring its 3G service to the Las Vegas market, according to Neville Ray, senior vice president, engineering operations, T-Mobile USA, “Customers in Las Vegas are already accustomed to reliable and robust service from T-Mobile, which gets even better with this additional network availability,” Ray said. “This investment in today’s 3G network also sets the foundation to help customers stay closer to their family and friends in new and exciting ways.”

T-Mobile’s 3G network in Las Vegas supports voice and data services consistent with available service and handset offerings. The company today offers multiple phones that are able to operate on the UMTS network. These phones are designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide the great call quality and rich communication services customers expect from T-Mobile.

Customers using a 3G-capable handset from T-Mobile will also experience faster data speeds when accessing the Web, or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal, for example. T-Mobile plans to soon offer its first HSDPA device, along with new and compelling data-centric, all-in-one devices that help make the most of T-Mobile’s high-speed data network. The launch of the 3G network in Las Vegas also enables T-Mobile to accommodate and serve more customers more efficiently through the use of its AWS spectrum.

As the 3G service rolls out in targeted major markets, T-Mobile will continue to build upon its T-Mobile® HotSpot Wi-Fi network — its wireless high-speed Internet offering that launched in 2003 — and its nationwide voice and data network, to empower customers to effortlessly stay connected using the best available network.

The case itself features a sizable 1500mAh battery pack that they claim can be charged by the sun in as little as three hours. It also has a mini USB to USB cable that allows you to charge from your PC or hook up other gadgets for a quick shot of sweet solar juice. The case is slated for release in August in both black and white versions for around $54. [Mobile Fun via SolarFeeds via EcoGeek]

"Effective in 30 days, Sprint reserves the right to limit throughput speeds or amount of data transferred and to deny, terminate, modify, or suspend service if usage exceeds 5 GB/month in total or 300 MB/month while roaming off network."

[Thanks Brett!]

Special thanks to Trugoy, Slim Kid Tre, Bootie Brown, Fat Lip, Imani, DJ Premier, Slick Rick, B-Real, M-1, Method Man, Murs, Keith Murray, Jake Fleischmann, Brendan McSheehy, and SanDisk! [Rock the Bells]

Update: It's an E. Honda-like 249MB, so this will take a few minutes to download.

Update 2: iPod Touch users can also update.

Update 3: The didn't wipe out our media (pics, vids, tunes) on the iPhone 3G. Awesome.

Update 4: Is it me, or does flipping pages on the home screen seem faster and smoother?

Update 5: Marcelo says iTunes sync and backup is faster. Anyone else agree?

Update 6: Confirmed that it doesn't work with Pwnage tool just yet.

So it might not be your imagination if your phone acts like it came across the ocean on the back of a diseased water rat. Worse, 40 million was the upper limit of Foxconn's demand estimate for the year, but they've been told to set it a lot higher, meaning they're going to be building them even faster. So, it's probably not going to get any better. Just remember to cross your fingers before you open the box. [TechCrunch]

DSLR:
(two-way tie)
-Canon EOS Digital SLR
-Nikon D Series

Point and shoot:
-Fujifilm Finepix S Series

Premium Point and Shoot:
(two-way tie)
-Canon PowerShot G Series
-Lumix (Panasonic) DMC-TZ Series

Ultra Slim:
-Sony Cyber-Shot T Series

Head on over to Hot Hardware to see the rest of the survey results in detail and feel free to use the comments to let us know how correct/insane these results are. [Hot Hardware]

The small team at id means that the company can only work on one game at a time, so they are toying with the idea of pairing up with a publishing partner to get a game running on the iPhone. However, Hollenshead is taking a cautious approach. He explains that games on the iPhone "are going to be competing with all of those other things you can do on the iPhone that are pretty cool" and that "It does raise the bar on what you need to do from a game standpoint."

So, when analyzing statements from Carmack and Hollenshead together, it seems that id Software definitely wants to bring games to the iPhone, but the two leaders have different viewpoints on the situation. Carmack is gung-ho and talking exclusive titles that are a "graphical tour de force" while Hollenshead is cautious and talking about porting titles that are already in development. We will just have to wait and see who gets their way. [Kotaku]

He says that he had 3G disabled, no push, and the screen set to lock after a minute—so the phone shouldn't have been active. It's definitely an anomaly we haven't heard of before, if this report is legit. Has anyone else noticed their phone getting uncomfortably warm? [Mac Rumors via Gearlog - Thanks Robert!]

I was tired, exhausted, and about to fall asleep standing up (there were no seats in the pit). The week had been hell, and I was physically and emotionally destroyed. But then, the band and the Boss took the stage and night and blasted everything away. In a few seconds, as the adrenalin kicked in, the exhaustion disappeared. Then Radio Nowhere came. And Lonesome Day. And the Promised Land. From there, he and his band made every single one of the 60,000 souls in the stadium fly.

Three hours of pure rock, with the Boss giving it all until the end, when he sung a 10-minute version of Twist And Shout, mixed with—get this—La Bamba. Not a single pause. Just music, heart and soul. I just couldn't believe this guy is almost as old as my dad. Forget Mick Jagger. Forget bloody Bono. He is the greatest rock musician alive, a true force of nature.

And I'm not even—or was not, until this day—a fan. The whole thing was totally unexpected for me. At the beginning I thought "this is going to be amazing" and I realized I only had my iPhone, because like every other concert, cameras and camcorders are absolutely prohibited. Especially when you are in the front row and the security guy can shake your hand. Or get your camera away.

During the whole concert, the entire stadium was under his command, jumping, singing, waving, screaming, completely in ecstasy, electrified, everyone sweating under the hot Spanish summer night. He and the band were enjoying the whole thing to no end. You could see them laughing, looking at us with real surprise in their faces, as if they weren't believing that this huge stadium just couldn't stop singing and jumping through every single one of the songs they played.

They were giving all their life away right there, and the public was returning it right back. With interest. Each of us. Mass hysteria. Crowd orgasm. Total love and dedication from Bruce, the band, and the public.

At one point—one of many in which he came to sing even closer to us—the Boss walked to the central platform and took a girl up on the stage. I knew she was the daughter of one of the Spanish fans—who had been following him through the whole tour—because I met her before the concert started. She danced with him for a minute, smiling while the band played. It was just one of the many "I can't believe this is happening" moments of the night.

Right there, in the very first row, in the corner of the central platform, I could see all these moments perfectly, like I'm seeing the screen of my computer right now. We were able to actually shake his hand, as well as the hands of the band—who at the end all came to the center platform. I shouted at him at one point ("Yes! Take us up there!") and he replied looking straight into my eyes, with the biggest smile, pointing at me and saying "Yes, I'm going to take you there!" just before the band exploded with sound.

Another time, I could see him turning to Max Weinberg—at the end of Seven Nights to Rock—and whisper: "Born to Run!" And (boom!) Born to Run started to play a second later. At any time, I could turn around and see the 60,000 people in the Santiago Bernabéu—the name of the Real Madrid football stadium—singing, clapping, taken way by his power. Yes, it was absolutely breathtaking. All of it. From the very beginning I thought: "I have to share this with the people I love. I can't do this justice with my description. I have to take photos."

There was when I started hating the iPhone's camera.

Nothing, I wasn't able to take any of this magic with clarity. I'm not even talking about recording video (don't get me started on that). I'm just talking about making a decent photo with one of the most advanced pieces of technology ever developed. Only one single photo that didn't appear to be taken with a broken Lomo. By a drunk guy. Without a decent sleep in the last three days (OK, forget about the part about the drunk guy.)

Sure, there was some clear pics here and there, but whatever was OK'ish, it was also completely crazy and badly framed. Some of them look nice—as you can see here, in the gallery of untouched images—but most of them need cropping and heavy Photoshop treatment.

I know most cellphone cameras are exactly the same. They behave poorly under low light conditions, they are slow, and have bad interfaces. And yes, I have to admit I like the iPhone's camera blurriness and unwanted "special effects" sometimes. I even try to get similar effects with my DSLR. But that's optional. This time I only wanted one thing: to be able to frame a good photo. Without having to hold the iPhone in a weird position. Without trying to find the stupid software interface button and not miss the shot (which I did, plenty of times).

That's what I want. I don't want more resolution, and I don't want a stupid zoom. I would be happy (HAPPY) with good lenses and a better, speedier, more luminous sensor. And of course, the physical button. In fact, scrap the rest. Just give me the physical button. As much as I love virtual interfaces—because they open the door to multi-functional devices at a low cost, with great power and flexibility—I'm afraid that there are still times when the only way to go is a physical button. Photography is one of them.

And since we are at it, here's a note for the Nokias, Sony Ericssons, Samsungs, and LGs of this world: stop doing the silly marketdrone "More megapixels!" and "Bigger optical zooms!" race. Educate the users. Don't dazzle them with higher numbers. Give us all more quality, more light, and more speed. That's what really counts to catch the special, truly ephemeral, completely unexpected moments you want to save forever. Because when I think about it, even while I will always keep this concert in my—blurry as the iPhone's camera—memory, there would never be another one like it.

That's exactly what cellphone cameras are for. To capture the unexpected, to take decent pictures of the special moments in your life, because we can't go around life with a camera in our pocket at all times. That's what I want in an cellphone and, especially, in the iPhone. A camera to be able to take any moment we want, fast, and with good quality, under most circumstances. And Señor Jobs, no matter what, please give us the physical button on the iPhone 3G 2.0.

Update: Having problems setting it up on my iPhone 3G. I follow the instructions and the phone seems to "connect", but that's about it. No connections shown in the NetShare app, and nothing goes through.

Update 2: Now we're getting the message that it's not available in the US store. Sucks.

1. Make it Less Crashy
The iPhone with 2.0 software feels a little… buggy. It'll randomly crash or slow down to the point of unusability until you restart every few days with normal use. That's not right; this is a cellphone. It shouldn't feel like an unstable computer.

2. Fix the Keyboard Lag
A good chunk of the time, typing on the iPhone keyboard is made even more difficult due to the lag involved. Typing quickly means the letters pop up four keystrokes after you hit them. Make the keyboard move as fast as the user can type.

3. Fix Safari Orientation Switch Lag
Sometimes, Safari takes its sweet, sweet time switching from portrait to landscape when you turn the phone. This should feel almost instantaneous, not something you have to wait for.

4. Make Backing Up Faster
For some, "backing up" whenever you plug in your iPhone can take upwards of 30 minutes. What is it doing, exactly? The iPhone sync should be near-instantaneous when you plug it in if you aren't moving large files back and forth on purpose.

5. Make it More Efficient
The 3G mode is a battery hog. You can turn off 3G completely, but if there was an option to only use 3G for certain programs, such as Safari and Maps, it would go a long way towards making this a phone you aren't afraid to unplug in the morning when you aren't planning on getting home until very late that night.

6. Video Recording
This could easily be implemented, as we've seen from apps available for jailbroken phones. What's the holdup?

7. Wi-Fi Syncing
We'd love to have our iPhone sync automatically when it hits our home Wi-Fi network, from app data to photos to music to contacts.

8. Leave App Icons in Place After an Update
When apps update, their icon gets picked up and moved to the very bottom of your last screen. Why? When you updated four apps at once it then makes you awkwardly move them all back to where they were. Just leave them in place.

9. Make Moving Icons from Page to Page Easier
Moving an icon from one page to another takes multiple tries and, unlike most things on the iPhone, feels awkward and user unfriendly. Make this less of a pain.

10. Copy & Paste
Duh.

Apparently they don't use any network management for the wireless broadband network, meaning there's nothing in place that'll slow down or stop P2P (or any other bandwidth-hogging app). It looks like this P2P ban applies to the iPhone as well (waiting for confirmation on that), despite statements earlier that its unlimited data usage was truly unlimited—so don't hold your breath for a video P2P app (like Joost or something) on your iPhone. Below is AT&T's official rationale.

Mobile wireless broadband service relies on shared network resources. With any shared network, some limitations on uses of individual subscribers are inherently necessary to ensure that all customers collectively receive an acceptable level of service.

Unlike wired broadband networks where the maximum number of potential simultaneous users in a given neighborhood is known in advance, the maximum number of potential mobile wireless broadband users that may simultaneously seek to access a given cell site at any particular time – and thus the collective service experience for all users at that site, for both data and voice services – is far less predictable due to the inherently nomadic nature of mobile wireless users.

In order to provide quality service to all our customers, our terms of service for mobile wireless broadband do prohibit uses that may cause extreme network capacity issues, including P2P file sharing.

Our terms of service are similar to those of other wireless providers.

Use of a P2P file sharing application would be a breach of contract that would allow us to terminate a user’s service. That said, since the vast majority of customers abide by their contracts, we have so far found it unnecessary to terminate anyone’s service for this reason.

[Multichannel]

There were a handful of multi-client IM apps available via Installer, my personal favorite being Fring, which also has the ability to do VoIP calls over Wi-Fi. You can count on Apple putting the kibosh on Fring in the App Store unless it drops the VoIP feature due to SDK guidelines, which is a shame.

Palringo on its own sports a nice interface (which is a little jerky at times, though), and it tosses all of your new messages via any client into a universal inbox in the bottom-left corner. Like the official AIM client, it vibrates on message receipts, even if your phone is locked (and Palringo is still active, of course, which is another thing the Jailbreak apps had on it). On other platforms, Palringo supports voice chat over its supported protocols as well (not VoIP)—that feature's not in the iPhone version yet, but is forthcoming says the devs. [Palringo, App Review Marathon]

The iPhone, as a device, is in the same generation power-wise as the PS2 or Xbox. The graphics are a little lower but the RAM is a lot higher.

Apparently Carmack is so eager about doing something great for the iPhone that he regrets not having the resources available to have a game available for the launch of the iPhone application store. When he adds that the new title "would be a graphical tour de force" we just can say: move your butt, John, fast. [Forbes]

[PC Watch]