iSmashPhone

Linux for iPhone: Is An Android iPhone Next?

The iPhone Dev Team has done it again...

Team member planetbeing, thanks to some clever reverse-engineering, has figured out how to run Linux on an iPhone, controlled with a USB keyboard running off the iPhone multi-purpose port.

While the current implications of this hack are at best academic, one projected outcome is Google's Android running directly on an iPhone.

Here's a more detailed video of the hack:

Keep in mind that while the Linux port has the framebuffer driver (for video), the serial driver, serial over USB driver, and drivers for the interrupts, the clock, and miscellaneous hardware components, it's still missing most of the other things, like write support for the NAND memory, wireless networking, touchscreen drivers, sound, accelerometer, and, one big and, the baseband chip, which is what makes the iPhone communicate with the cellular networks.

[Via Gizmodo]

Don't Expect to See Flash on the iPhone. Ever.

Although Adobe recently announced that it is developing a version of its enormously popular Flash software for the iPhone, don't expect to see it on the iPhone.  Not now, not ever.  Michele Turner, Flash product manager for Adobe, recently stated that while the company is working on a version for the iPhone, "…it really is up to Apple."  And, trust me, Apple's simply not going to permit it.

Why?  Oh, come on, you know—it's Apple.  Flash software is no longer simply an animation program, but a full-blown application that allows programmers to launch other programs within Flash, run multimedia apps independently, and generally serve as a platform for just about any type of program you can think of.  And, trust me, Apple's not going to permit that.  Apple always wants very tight control over the apps that can be run on its products and permitting Flash on the iPhone would open a big door to the competition by permitting all kinds of apps to be run without Apple's permission and allowing media downloads that would compete with Apple's iTunes store. 

iPhone users are limited in the websites that will function on the device without Flash—significantly limiting their real web browsing (may be not) - but does Apple care?  Nah.  Apple's gotta protect Apple, first and foremost, so the user be damned. 

iPhone Passes RAZR to Become Best Selling Phone in U.S.

Although overall sales of cell phones fell by 15% from last year, sales of the iPhone substantially  increased during the third quarter of 2008 to make the device the best selling phone in the United States.  The iPhone supplanted Motorola’s RAZR—which fell to #2—in the top spot.  Rounding out the top five were, in order, the Blackberry Curve, LG’s Rumor, and the LG enV2. 

In the study of mobile phone sales conducted by the NPD Group, the leading wireless research firm, it was noted that two features most motivated consumers to purchase a specific handset:  43% of all buyers stated that they need a camera in their cell phone, and 36% said that the ability to send and receive text messages was necessary for them to consider a specific handset. 

NPD’s study also determined that phones with a QWERTY-style keyboard had the biggest increase in sales over the same period in 2007, followed closely by phones that were Bluetooth enabled, and phones that were music enabled. 

NPD noted that a “digital divide” has developed in the wireless handset world, with a certain set of consumers using their cell phones only to make and receive voice calls—and not caring about additional digital features—while other consumers use their phones for various digital and media applications. 

The implications, NPD stated, obviously have a profound implication for wireless companies seeking to upgrade their consumers to more advance technologies.

Blackberry Storm: Bad Apple as per NY Times

David Pogue wrote a Blackberry Bold review article with title  - "BlackBerry Storm Downgraded to a Depression", later article's title was changed to "No Keyboard? And You Call This a BlackBerry?"

WOW, that is harsh.

iPhone fans may want to read review conclusion below.

"When you look at your typing, slow and typo-ridden, and you consider the dents you’ve made banging your head against the wall, you’ll be grateful that Verizon offers a 30-day return period.

How did this thing ever reach the market? Didn’t anyone at RIM actually try it? Or was everyone involved just too terrified to pull the emergency brake on this train?

Maybe RIM is just overextended. After all, it has just introduced three major new phones — Flip, Bold, Storm — in two months, each with a different software edition. Some quality-control problems are bound to result; the iPhone 3G went through something similar.

The company says that it’s hard at work on a bug-fix software update. Until then, maybe Storm isn’t such a bad name for this phone. After all—it’s dark, sodden and unpredictable. "

[Full Article]