The companies said they reached an agreement that will allow Apple to use the name for its sleek new multimedia device in exchange for exploring wide-ranging "interoperability" between the companies' products in the areas of security, consumer and business communications. No other details of the agreement were released.

Sounds fine by me. No human in their right mind will confuse the two for twins. Search engines, on the other hand...–Brian Lam
Cisco, Apple settle iPhone lawsuit [Yahoo! News, thanks NJ]

Cisco/Apple Lawsuit Deadline Today [Merc News]

Is a Saviour needed by a humanity which has invented interactive communication, which navigates in the virtual ocean of the Internet and, thanks to the most advanced modern communications technologies, has now made the Earth, our great common home, a global village?

Of course we still need a Savior. Hopefully, our shepherd, Steve Jobs, will unveil Apple-Cellphone-Thingy, the true Jesus Phone—or jPhone—in two weeks, at the Macworld Keynote. It shall lift the hunger and disease you speak of from the land, as it will cure the rabid state of mind infecting Mac fanboys like yours truly.

So, we're all on the same page, your Pope-ness.–Brian Lam

Pope: Worship God not technology [CNN]

Late Saturday, iPhone Insider made a bold proclamation:
"Apple has acquired the name "iMobile" for its upcoming cellphone."

It quickly rose to Digg's homepage. Seems like straightforward times in rumorville. Except the original iPhone Insider blog is fake. All posts, save that last rumor post, were pulled word-for-word from Gizmodo. It's a splog.

Eight hours later, Apple Gazette put forth proof that there are eight trademarks on iMobile, and that none of them belong to Apple. Points for common sense, and reporting.–Brian Lam

Digg iMobile stories [digg]

Linksys's products are polished, and considerate of the hacktastic. (Consider the WRT 54L, a special edition router that still runs Linux while the rest of the line moves to a proprietary OS.) DLink products, on the other hand, are fanciful. IP cameras with relays built in that can remotely trigger door buzzers, and all sorts of interesting kit that never quite works without a bit of fussing.

Maybe DLink is calling Linksys out for the stunt. And maybe they're just jealous they didn't pull it off first.
–Brian Lam

UPDATE: Of course, we know this isn't officially sanctioned messaging from the corporate PR team. But we still love to hear about Networking giants clashing like highschool rivals. It's what we live for!

Hands-on Review: D-Link V-Click GSM/Wi-Fi Phone [Yahoo! Tech Blog]

Cisco rightfully owns the trademark for iPhone. And Apple can't sue them or bully them into giving it up. The tech world had taken the title for granted, assumed it to be proper, plastered it over magazine covers, and now the name is lost. Which means Apple's iPhone, if there even is an iPhone, will have to be named something else. It's a big deal, if you think about what that name meant.

Superficially, it's Apple's loss, because the name has been built up by blogs and the mainstream press, to stand for the most highly coveted piece of vapor, ever. But those articles are only there in response to the fanatical desire for a cellphone most — except Steve, its designers, those working on the ad campaigns, and Kevin Rose informers — know zero factual information about. It is the
Cult of Mac's most fantastic religious symbol.

Which is why the loss of the name is really our loss. Since last Thursday, I've been trying to come up with a more natural sounding name to live up to the what the word iPhone stood for: The coming of the perfect phone. One not hobbled by carriers, not weighed down with clunky menus we've already abandoned in video games, computing, TV, and mp3 players. The US of A is last in the modern world when it comes to phone tech. This was supposed to be our Big Shot. So go ahead, and try to think of a name that'll live up to all that. Try repeating iCall, iTalk, iChat Mobile, or any other name suggested by readers of TUAW on this very matter. (The shittiest: Macommunicator) Say the new names, and then the dearly departed. Feel that? The contrast in excitement you feel between "iPhone" and any other title, is what we're all losing by having to change the Apple Cellphone's name. Yes, a rose by any other name might smell just as sweet. But what if you have no idea what a rose looks like, smells like, and you're surrounded by goddamn daffodils? The title was a handle, and all we had to represent the only gadget that could possibly dwarf the perfect thing.

The cult still has hope. It's a safe bet that Apple's known that Cisco's had the trademark for awhile. So they've had a lot of time to make up a name as fresh as the word "iPod" was when it first rolled off our tongues.

And the discussion begins. What will Apple call their perfect phone? – Brian Lam

More: Apple iPhone Knock Knock Joke
iPhone [Gizmodo]

All through this, I'm reminded of the Brucesploitation era. When Bruce Lee died, imitators, under names like Bruce Le and Bruce Li came out with their own films to fill the void. Fans would hear the name, glance at the spelling, see the false idols, and move on. How can anything live up to the name?

So the iPhone is a VOIP handset, and not by Apple. Now, the bigger story presents itself: What will Apple call its cellphone? – Brian Lam

More: The iPhone is Dead: What Will Apple Name Its Cellphone Thingy Now?

P.S. Macheads—including those from Macrumors, Think Secret, TUAW, and Cult of Mac—know Apple likes to release gear on Tuesdays. So they didn't expect an Apple iPhone Monday. If you did read into my original post and feel like I misled you, sincere apologies for the discomfort.

From a search from the USPTO

Typed Drawing
Word Mark IPHONE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks. FIRST USE: 19970606. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19970606
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Design Search Code
Serial Number 75076573
Filing Date March 20, 1996
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1B
Published for Opposition December 29, 1998
Registration Number 2293011
Registration Date November 16, 1999
Owner (REGISTRANT) INFOGEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 1775 WOODSIDE ROAD REDWOOD CITY CALIFORNIA 94061

(LAST LISTED OWNER) CISCO TECNOLOGY, INC. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 170 WEST TASMAN SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA 95134
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Attorney of Record KAREN MARIE KITTERMAN
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 8 (6-YR).
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

More: The iPhone Lives: But the Trademark Belongs to Cisco
More: Apple iPhone Knock Knock Joke
More: iPhoneyGate: Best Brian Lam/Gizmodo Hate Blog Ever. Digg It!