Holy Hot Dang Batman! IPhone 'Jailbreaking' No Longer 'Illegal'

This one comes in from the U.S. Copyright Office, a ruling was released today stating that "jailbreaking" your iPhone is not, as Steve Jobs had once put it, "illegal." The ruling clearly address the installation of "non authorized" software such as firmware, software, DVD content, and E-books!

I make that determination at the conclusion of a rulemaking proceeding conducted by the Register of Copyrights, who makes a recommendation to me. Based on that proceeding and the Register’s recommendation, I am to determine whether the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works is causing or is likely to cause adverse effects on the ability of users of any particular classes of copyrighted works to make noninfringing uses of those works. The classes of works that I designated in the previous proceeding expire at the end of the current proceeding unless proponents of a class prove their case once again.

Hooray for consumers' rights!

via U.S. Copyright Office

No No Apple is not Giving away free stuff

Well apparently someone mistook Samsung's generosity as Apple's and decided it would be a good idea to smash-and-grab $22K worth of merchandise from an Apple Store in Suburban Square, PA. The burglary occurred at 5:18AM, the thieves ran off with " 11 laptops and three iPods plus iPhones, including the iPhone 4"

These smash and grab burglaries have gotten the attention of multiple police departments; although there doesn't seem to be any link between the robberies, law enforcement officials have begun sharing information in hopes to create a multi-State dragnet of sorts.

via Cult of Mac

Shots Fired! This is heating up.

Hey all you PMBs out there, 9-to-5 Mac is reporting that Samsung is so confident in their Galaxy S that they will give any iPhone 4 customer one for free if they're willing to switch. That's more than just big talk, that's calling you out then trying to eat your lunch.

According to the data on 9-to5, each 16GB phone nets Sammy $50 while each 32 GB phone nets them $75; this ain't peanuts we're talking about. So act now kiddies, if you're willing to give up your iPhone, as Samsung's UK twitter indicates there's only a few left.

Samsungukmobile (twitter) via 9-to-5 Mac.

Samsung to Apple: "Helllllo"

Shots fired.

White iPhone Delayed - Again

Well, the unicorn of the mobile world proves to be as elusive as ever. Today Apple released a statement announcing the delay of the much coveted white iPhone 4. Yet again there seem to be issues with the manufacturing process. See the full release below:

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

After confirming yet another market defying quarter and weathering the antennagate scandal, this bit of news will not be welcomed over in Cupertino. His Steveness is not amused.

PRNewswire via Engadget

Apple to Recall iPhone4?

As if the Consumer Report's retraction of their recommendation of the iPhone 4 isn't enough, Cult of Mac spoke to some PR heavy weights and they all seem to be convinced the only option for Apple at this point is a full-on recall of the iPhone 4.

Many of the tech, business, news pundits have all chimed in calling this "Apple's Toyota Prius;" it's not. Not by a long shot.

First, let's put this into perspective - the Prius was allegedly suffering from an issue where the car would randomly accelerate due to a brake defect. This defect would've theoretically affected millions, resulting in injury or death. That's heavy.

The iPhone by contrast is just that - a luxury cellular phone with lots of bells, whistles, wrapped up nicely in PR magic. Things like Retina displays, Face Time, helicopter windshield grade glass, and of course the blood of unicorns powering this sucker. Great sounding stuff but at the end of the day it's a phone; unless it started blowing up in users hands a recall would be heavy-handed all around.

The truth is that a lot of people have had the problem with disappearing bars; a lot of people have only heard about the issue through blogs, magazines, or television news. Apple's biggest folly in all this is their reluctance to admit there may be an issue in the first place. I'd be amazed if Apple didn't 1. acknowledge the actual problem (instead of their previous responses) or 2. offer some kind of "fix" like offering a free Bumper.

Addressing the issue will allow them to focus on the bigger issue: making sure that all future iPhones sold will NOT have the "death grip" problem. I've read research that suggests in instances where a doctor lost a patient, the families of the decease were less likely to sue if a doctor were to admit fault; those who feel spited by Apple may well fall into this line of thinking. Points for Apple PR and brand image.

The Bumper is a silly rubber band that costs $30; but having the Bumper on your iPhone will improve reception because you're no longer directly touching the antenna (the steel bezel). Realistically this makes sense; the Bumper costs YOU $30, Apple makes these cheaper: f=Cost of manufacturing product < msrp =" Profit.">

The last possible option - one that won't be announced at this afternoon's keynote - is a silent recall. It's not a matter of secrecy but a matter of effectively handling customer issues. A recall will prompt all iPhone owners to seek a replacement phone whether or not they have a problem. Again, this isn't a problem that may cause bodily harm just a big ass annoyance.

Due to the large backlash from both mainstream media outlets and the blogosphere, Apple hastily scheduled a press conference/announcement for today (1PM EST); we here at PMB will keep up with all of today's news.

via Cult of Mac

World Cup Champs Get Their Own iPhone Case

The World Cup may be over but that shouldn't stop you from showing your love of the Beautiful Game. So suit up your iPhone with the colors of La Furia Roja.

Via GeekSugar

The ArkHippo: Saving your iPhone from it's own good looks.

Ever thought to yourself, "The iPhone is waaaaaay too skinny. Who even wants it in their pocket anyhow?" Well if you have boy is this the iPhone case for YOU!

According to Engadget, the ArkHippo will be made of a special "proprietary material "similar to Crocs shoes," So you can look spectacularly tacky with your orange Crocs and matching ArkHippo.

Sure it just looks like a silly foam box around an iPhone but at least the commercial has a cool song playing:

ArkWhat via Engadget

Humor: LeBron James Edition iPhone

I hope a celebrity version of the iPhone is a reality that we never see but I just found this funny as all hell.

via Twitter

Deal of the Day: Starbucks Now Has Free WiFi

Pretty much a done deal; just head into your local Starbucks, turn on your wifi enabled device, agree to the terms of service, and there you go. Free wifi.

Straight from the horse's mouth:

Starbucks will turn on free Wi-Fi with one click on July 1 at U.S. and Canadian company-operated stores as a part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing the customer experience.

So head out fire up the MacBook(Pro) or the iPod Touch and enjoy free WiFi with your latte.

via Starbucks

And Now... The Kin's Dead.

In less than 2 months after it's launch, various sites have reported that Microsoft's KIN devices are dead. And it's a damned shame. PMB will not be apologist here and say that Microsoft isn't partly to blame for their device not catching on with the masses but don't think for a second that we didn't see the potential here.

Just a refresher on the Kin: It's somewhere between being a smartphone and a feature phone. It was the next evolutionary step of the Sidekick. This made sense since this was the reason why Microsoft bought Danger a couple years back. The Kin was in the perfect position to be an alternative to the very expensive smartphones (primarily very expensive service plans) and far too dumb cheap feature phones. Microsoft had effectively launched a device that had a built in market ripe for the picking and somehow missed the boat.

We teased Microsoft for their confusing marketing strategy right here on PMB; but badvertising alone does not a flop make. No. Microsoft saw big bucks where there weren't any to be seen. Their partnership with Verizon all but guaranteed that the Kin would be a failure.

Again, the main draw of an in-between device like the Kin was price. The handset had to be free or close to it: +1 for Microsoft. The service plan would have to be tailor made for tweens/teens/hipsters (see mom/dad won't spend $80 per month for the kids' phone) and 20-somethings on a tight budget without restricting what they were looking for: access to Facebook, Twitter, and the internet. Verizon may be great in terms of coverage and coverage area but never have they been lauded for great prices.

Microsoft could've easily walked away with a considerable piece of Android's pie (Don't believe me go to your local T-Mobile store and see what's the new Sidekick - MyTouch 3G/Slide). Microsoft could've changed the smartphone scene; switching the focus from hardware to service. But for want of an exclusive carrier, they walk away heads down in defeat.

All may not be lost, both Gizmodo and Engadget have reported that (at least for now) the Kin group will be integrated into the Windows Phone 7 team. Maybe the Spot will make it to Windows Phone 7?