A few years ago it would’ve been only the insane and the insanely prescient who were predicting that Apple would replace RIM in terms of world mobile phone market share. Now it doesn’t seem that outlandish, but the question of how soon we’ll actually see it happen remains up in the air. According to a new financial analysis company, Trefis (via Forbes ), the iPhone will pass BlackBerries in 2011. So as of next year, the iPhone will supposedly overtake RIM’s varied line of smartphones, despite offering far less in terms of consumer choice, and being limited to only one network in major markets like the U.S. So how’s that supposed to happen? Before we get to how , let’s look at why Trefis thinks this information is important. If you’re looking to buy Apple stock, then it’s very important indeed. Trefis estimates that around 52 percent of Apple’s stock value is dependent upon its mobile phone business, so that as the iPhone’s global market share continues to grow, the stock price will climb accordingly. They have a neat little tool that illustrates this, and you can set your own prediction to see how it affects the model.

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Yeah, yeah, we all know those cell phones glued to our ears are little microwave ovens beaming their death rays directly into our pineal glands.  And for years, the debate about how dangerous (or not) that might be has raged. An Israeli app-development startup called Tawkon decided to attack the issue head-on, creating an iPhone app that predicts the amount of radiation your phone is pumping out, based on factors like how far you are from a cell tower, whether you’re in standby mode or actually on a call, even what kind of iPhone you own (e.g. the 3GS’s improved chipset produce lower radiation levels). Not surprisingly, the House of Jobs isn’t happy that an app exists that’ll tell you how big a death ray your telephone is.  So far, they’ve rejected Tawkon’s App Store submissions, on the grounds that a diagnostic tool of this nature would create confusion with iPhone owners from a usability perspective.  Undeterred, Tawkon continues to petition Apple for App Store approval (and a suggested price tag between US$5.00-10.00) while developing Blackberry and Android versions.  [Via TechCrunch ]

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Tossing panda bears, drawing in graves to trap stick figure zombies, and lie detectors that avoid detecting lies.  The iPhone App Store is pushing forward a whole new era of apps and games! iGravedigger The visual motif of choice for iPhone game developers is to make everything reminiscent of a hand draw kindergarten project.   Part of this comes from the hands on approach of the touch screen, but, at least in the beginning, it was somewhat appealing.   Often times these have just been the visual theme for a pretty standard game, not lending itself to anything more unique that the scrawling graphics.   iGravedigger definitely escapes that trapping.   The basic premise of iGravedigger is to dig graves deep enough to trap monsters in them.   You are given a plot of land that is drawn against graphing paper that you may remember from sophomore Geometry.   You will have a house on one end and then zombies, elephants, spiders and the like will be running toward the homestead.   It is up to you to draw out graves that are deep enough to trap them

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    Don’t fret the next time your precious iPhone or iPod Touch runs out juice as the  Xmultiple X-Power1 All-in-One charge/sync cable, also provides battery back up. But we already told you about this a long, a long time ago . So why this walk down memory lane? Well, because Xmultiple’s X-Power1 has been updated  to Universal XP1-2500AP   so that it can be now be paired with iXP1 interchangeable connector adapters (sold separately). Be it smartphones/cellphone, GPS, PDA’s, wireless headsets, Mifi devices, camera’s, MP3 Players or even gaming controllers, the Universal XP1-2500AP can provide the much needed power kick. The cable also now offers surge protection so that you can charge your device without frying it. Suggested retail price is $59.99 for the Universal XP1-2500AP (which comes with one iXP1 micro-USB adapter) and additional iXP1 connector adapters are available at $4.99 each.

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Notice that Verizon’s been playing a lot of “me, too” recently?  Yeah, so did we.  They recently became the second cell carrier (after Sprint) to offer Palm Pre’s and Pixies, and in March they’ll join AT&T in offering Skype voice-over-IP service . As is typical with the service, you can’t use Skype to save on your phone plan minutes: unlimited free talk/text applies only to other Skype users, while calls to international land lines and mobile phones can be done at a discounted rate.  Even AT&T is permitting domestic Skype-to-phone calls via the “fring” app. Still, if you’re a Verizon die-hard with a ton of Skype contacts and want to access them anywhere you are, the Skype app may be worth a download.  (Current plans are to offer it for most Blackberry models [Curve, Tour, Storm] and Android-based phones like the Moto DROID and HTC Eris.) [Via Gizmodo ]

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Section: Software + Apps , Miscellaneous , Third-Party , iPod + iTunes , iPod touch , iPhone , iPhone , iPhone SDK & Apps , Mac + Computers , Software Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 7, 2010: Macintosh SpectorSoft Corporation has announced Spector Pro Mac 2010 , the industry’s first and most comprehensive monitoring and surveillance software for the Mac platform. Three new Activity Recorders capture all online searches, programs run and files transferred, in addition to keystrokes, chats and instant messages, emails sent and received, and more. Spector Pro mac 2010 adds powerful blocking capabilities, keyword alerts, and an intelligent “Internet Lingo” translator. Just Mobile Ltd. has announced two new product members to help organize your work space and with style which complements the latest Mac computers. Just Mobile Mtable is a solid stand, designed to let you slide a MacBook underneath and put a Cinema Display on top. You can also put an iMac or MacBook on it and store your keyboard below the Mtable. Made of 100% aluminum, it matches the metal finish on the Mac computers. A tools design from Denmark, Just Mobile Alupad is a mouse pad with an anodized aluminum surface ensuring lasting durability with style. Alupad supports all optical mice for precise movements. The sleek design complements perfectly Mac desktops and laptops and also adds a clean and modern look to your work space. Non-slip feet keeps Alupad staying secure on your desk. iPhone/iPod Avallon Alliance is starting the New Year with a worldwide launch of the game Car Troller

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Filed under: Odds and ends , Apple Finnish mobile device manufacturer Nokia today filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging that Apple is infringing on seven distinct Nokia patents in its iPhone, iPod, and Mac product lines. Nokia says that Apple has used its patented technology to create key product features in terms of cameras, antennas, power management, and user interface. The technologies allow Nokia to create small devices, deliver longer battery life, lower their manufacturing costs, and provide better user experiences. The complaint isn’t the first shot in the war between the two mobile phone giants. In October, Nokia sued Apple over alleged infringement on GSM and wireless LAN patents. This month, Apple countersued Nokia , charging that Nokia was stealing technology from 13 Apple patents and attempting to obtain more money from Apple than other companies. Apple also charged that Nokia was also trying to obtain access to Apple’s intellectual property with respect to the iPhone since Nokia had copied and is now using that technology. Nokia has lost a tremendous amount of market share since the iPhone was released in 2007, and the company’s profit margins are slim compared to those of Apple and BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion . The battle between Nokia and Apple is heating up, and it’s only going to get more intense as Apple fights for more market share in the mobile phone world and Nokia tries to hold onto its former glory. [via AppleInsider ] The battle escalates: Nokia files patent infringement complaint against Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . The battle escalates: Nokia files patent infringement complaint against Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

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New data out this week puts Apple’s iPhone at the number one spot on a Top 10 list of U.S. mobile phones, but they still lag in overall market share due to the competition having multiple models available. Nielsen compiled the data on the Top 10 mobile phones in use from January through October, 2009 in the U.S., which gives Apple a 4% market share, according to Cnet News . Competitor RIM (Research in Motion) landed 6.3% with its Blackberry line and LG took 6.4%. Together, the Top 10 mobile phones in use account for only 20% of the total devices in use. Apple’s rivals enjoy one competitive advantage in that both RIM and LG offer a number of different handsets compared to only two current variations of the iPhone, last year’s 3G model and this year’s 3GS. That said, Apple has been at the cell phone game far less than the competition and is only tied to one carrier, AT&T, instead of having the benefit of promotion from all U.S. carriers. LG is the number three mobile phone maker behind Nokia and Samsung. The Nielsen report shows just how much the cell phone landscape has changed since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. At that time, Motorola’s Razr was the cell phone to beat, while RIM was mostly a business-centric device for the enterprise. With the market constantly in flux, the mobile phone game is still wide open for the future and even ailing companies like Motorola have an opportunity to bounce back, as they have with their Android-powered Droid from Verizon. There were an estimated 271 million U.S

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Section: iPhone , Carriers , iPhone According to recent reports coming from Tokyo-based research company Impress R&D, the iPhone now holds a commanding 46.1% of the mobile smartphone market share in Japan. More specifically, 24.6% of this come from the iPhone 3G while the other 21.5% is thanks to the 3GS model. Considering the amount of advancements in technology and wireless networks coming out of Japan, it’s fascinating to see a phone designed in the West take hold of so much market share. This means the iPhone it is beating out both the Android and the Blackberry in this market. Part of this success may be due to the intense marketing campaign that SoftBank Mobile—the carrier of the iPhone in Japan—has enacted since its launch. However, I still believe a lot of it is simply how well the iPhone functions. Nonetheless, whatever the cause may be, it’s still fascinating to see the iPhone putting up such large numbers in terms of market share. It’s a great thing Apple decided to release it to so many countries! Via [ Mobile Crunch ] Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Section: iPhone , Carriers , iPhone According to recent reports coming from Tokyo-based research company Impress R&D, the iPhone now holds a commanding 46.1% of the mobile smartphone market share in Japan. More specifically, 24.6% of this come from the iPhone 3G while the other 21.5% is thanks to the 3GS model. Considering the amount of advancements in technology and wireless networks coming out of Japan, it’s fascinating to see a phone designed in the West take hold of so much market share. This means the iPhone it is beating out both the Android and the Blackberry in this market. Part of this success may be due to the intense marketing campaign that SoftBank Mobile—the carrier of the iPhone in Japan—has enacted since its launch. However, I still believe a lot of it is simply how well the iPhone functions. Nonetheless, whatever the cause may be, it’s still fascinating to see the iPhone putting up such large numbers in terms of market share. It’s a great thing Apple decided to release it to so many countries! Via [ Mobile Crunch ] Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell .

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