This post was written by Mary Joseff

To fix its MobileMe software, Apple has released 27 patches, ending an embarrassing episode associated to the iphone launch. MobileMe is the e-mail service which was supposed to start working on the day of the launch of the iphone. However, it worked so unsystematically that the company had to keep shutting the service down and return the money to its customers. However, the provider had maintained that nothing was wrong with its service. MobileMe is a hosted service. Thus, Apple was able to make all the changes on the servers without the need to inform anyone. With the various aspects of MobileMe re-written, users report that the service is working fine now.

This post was written by Mary Joseff

A recent report by an investment banker, FBR Capital Markets, said that a peek at the Apple supply chain reveals that the consumer electronics maker is on track to build this year more than 15 million 3G iPhones, plus 2 million older models. On the iPod front, FBR Capital Markets has revised its third quarter build volumes up by 15%, saying they are now set to grow 35% from the second quarter. The greater number of iPod Classics and Nanos built are expected to be partially offset by fewer Touch builds. FBR has also raised its forecast for Mac notebooks and desktops.
Read the full article here

This post was written by Mary Joseff

Apple Inc., which had made AT&T the exclusive carrier of its iPhone, has extended its exclusivity agreement with AT&T for a year. The exclusivity deal, which the company had signed with AT&T last year, was due to expire at the beginning of 2009. With the 120-year old brand becoming cool again due to its alliance with iPhone and the smartphone sales improving, both the companies seem to be happy with the results of the deal. By subsidizing each iPhone 3G sold by $300, AT&T is able to make the smartphone far more attractive to consumers.
Read the full article here

This post was written by Mary Joseff

AT&T, the exclusive iPhone service provider in the U.S., says that the latest version of the iPhone will go on sale at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11. The July 11 ship date had been set by Apple during Steve Jobs’ Worldwide Developers Conference keynote last month, but the exact time of the release was still up in the air. AT&T made the announcement amid detailing the pricing plans for the iPhone 3G. The early-morning release is something of a departure from recent high-profile Apple product launches.

Read the full article here

This post was written by Mary Joseff

After almost a year of the launch of the original Apple iPhone, Apple Inc.’s CEO Steve Jobs has introduced a 3G version of the device, finally putting to rest months of rumors and speculation. While some of the rumors panned out — the new handset will offer full GPS — other rumors, like the addition of a 32GB model, fizzled. With support for three 3G bands (850, 1900, 2100) and both UMTS and HSDPA networks, the iPhone 3G is well positioned for using high-speed networks across the world. If data speeds hold up as Jobs demonstrated, the new iPhone really is ready to put the Internet in your pocket. The latest iPhone version will go on sale from July 11, 2008.

Read the full article here

This post was written by Mary Joseff

A blog entry from ImportGenius indicates that Apple may have secretly smuggled millions of 3G iPhones in the U.S. According to ImportGenius, the circumstantial evidence includes shortages of 2G iPhones, AT&T’s vacation blackout, predictions of analysts and labeling of the cargo as “electric computer.” According to Ryan Petersen of ImportGenius.com, Apple has never reported the “electric computer” product in their customs declarations before. The product is apparently a code for the 3G iPhone.

Read the full article here.