Skype on iPhone now available worldwide, except in Canada

[caption id="attachment_389" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Clever workarounds have enabled the \"Skype\" and \"Rogers\" logos to coexist on the same page"][/caption] By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla When word got around that Skype would be offering its VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) application to iPhone and later on BlackBerry users were ecstatic. Skype is a well integrated product which is mature, has gone through all the kinks and simply works well. A lot of people already use it for voice chat, for video chat and even as an instant messaging client. A lot of people already have existing Skype credits on their accounts. When the news broke that Canada was not getting iPhone Skype because of "patent-licensing" issues, users quickly found a workaround to download the app from foreign Apple app stores. More on Skype after the break. Consumers, it seems, will always find a way to circumvent a situation and get what they want. When iPhone version 1 came out, you could see numerous unlocked and jailbroken models in the streets of Toronto just weeks after the first unlocking applications hit the Internet, same thing with Skype. Canadian iPhone and BlackBerry users totally fit the demographic of Skype-savvy individuals who are likely not to replace their phone contracts but supplement them with the Skype service. This is such a useful service, specially when traveling since you can pop-in to any Wi-Fi connection and make reasonably clear voice calls for way less than what you would on roaming charges. Using the iPhone or BlackBerry you already own is a great bonus. Cripple the Device You can currently only enable the Skype voice feature using a Wi-Fi connection. You can't use the 3G data connection to make your calls (although it is expected that the new revision of the iPhone's OS, 3.0, will allow this). Last week, when the Skype application suddenly emerged from Apple's App store the buzz hit the Internet as users were marveling at being able to make Skype calls on their iPhones and iPod Touch devices. Canadian users were once more let down and excluded from being able to download the Skype application from the Canadian Apple Store. The biggest and most painful sidebar to this story was that Skype is available to every other country except Canada! What gives? Get Skype on your Rogers and Fido iPhone by following these instructions There's no doubt how popular the Skype App has been. According to a posting on the Skype website: "In under 36 hours after it first appeared, Skype for iPhone has hit the number one spot in the following countries, being the most downloaded free app in the App Store: Australia · Austria · Belgium · Brazil · Chile · China · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Japan · Kuwait · Luxembourg · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Africa · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sweden · Switzerland · Taiwan · UAE · UK · USA." Left out Again This unfortunate and infuriating reality is just one in a series of high technology mishaps that has long affected the tech-smart Canadian consumers. It took well over a year for Rogers, the giant GSM telco monopoly, to offer the Apple iPhone and it did so with initially horrible data plans that seemed that they were dug up from 1992. Canadian users can only cast wistful glances across the border as Amazon's Kindle Book Reader, now on its second iteration and allegedly selling like hot cakes (although no sales figures are really ever released) is still unavailable for Canadians. I t's baffling, really. Amazon.ca, the online store, exists and Canadians have been buying physical books there for years, so why can't we buy that cool, overpriced slab of lit-tech? We think a lot of it has to do with the data plan and free wireless WhisperNet service that comes bundled with the Kindles. Each Kindle allows you to trawl the Internet for free, for life. The main purpose is to be able to buy electronic books and magazines on the fly but we think the idea of offering free data for any duration is what will never allow the Kindle to work in Canada. Of course, there is always the question of the books themselves and the Canadian electronic rights to these books but if they already sell the physical books in Canada, it shouldn't be that hard to sell the e-versions as well. Another sore spot for Canadian consumers is the inability to access is the video service Hulu.com which offers access to TV shows and movies streaming on the web via browsers. Most of the shows are available on network TV already but Hulu makes them available anytime for free while pushing advertising before letting users watch. Yes, there are workarounds to this as well but after a while it gets tiring for people to hack around a system to enjoy its benefits. That and the reality that as with most software, succeeding updates and upgrades can render your workarounds and your device useless. It would be interesting to find out what the real reasons are for the shackling of the Canadian iPhone Skype app and what these "patent-licensing" issues really are.

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Apple's iPhone 3.0 OS coming in June, features revealed

3.0 brings cutting, copying, pasting and much more With the looming release of Palm's Pre and corresponding new WebOS, Apple Inc. has hedged its bets by offering a slew of new features to appear in its iPhone (2G and 3G) and iPod Touch ($10.00 for update). Aside from features that users have long been clamoring for, iPhone OS 3.0, which will be released in June, has an abundance of new applications well waiting for. Here are the announced new features: Developers get the SDK today, the world gets the OS in June In App Purchase - Enables the buying of content or services from within applications. For example, in a virtual pet type game - users can purchase clothes and accessories for their pet from within the game but using established iPhone App store linkages. Multiplayer Shoot Em Push notification service- Long promised feature enables ways and means to notify users of new information even if the application isn't running. For example you can still receive messages from an instant messaging application even if it isn't on. This integrates some cloud computing features. Accessories- A new framework that allows extended use from "Made for iPod" devices through the dock connector or via Bluetooth. Peer to peer connectivity- This is a biggie, enable multi-player or interactive gaming between devices using bluetooth and no pairing is required. This means you can, in theory, beam messages or photos or even apps and content (songs, short videos) to nearby iPhones and iPod touch devices that have their Bluetooth enabled. Universal search- A response to a feature on the upcoming Palm Pre, this uses Apple's Spotlight technology to allow you to search your entire iPhone or iPod Touch. Cut, Copy and Paste- The big Kahuna feature which users have been begging for since the iPhone first came out. Text can now be selected and moved between applications and this will enhance the usefulness of these devices making them, in essence, handheld computers capable of doing so much more. Cut, copy, paste on the horizon MMS- Multi Media Messaging, the ability to send photos, video and other media via text, has long been available on networks but has not made an appearance in the iPhone until now. Personally we already have email so why MMS is such a key feature escapes us, but it is good to have nonetheless. Landscape mode on keyboard-Thank goodness, you can now type email, text and other applications in landscape mode, making full use of the screen real estate for the keyboard Stereo Bluetooth- Now we're talking! The iPhone 3G will be able to use stereo Bluetooth headsets and eliminate the need for wires. This can only be a good thing although I wonder how much this will affect battery life. Over 100 features are expected on the iPhone 3.0 OS, which will be released in June. If all these features work half as decently as the demo suggests, this is a monster upgrade for every iPhone owner and a major salvo against competing OS's. The 3.0 improvements don't just make a more useful and better smartphone, they clearly give the iPhone some of the features that can well propel it in the corporate space and even allow it to encroach the netbook space. I for one, am looking forward to the new release and I am happy that Apple seems to be focused on improving the iPhone ecosystem as well as bolstering its feature set so that developers can churn out more awesome applications. Now, will 3.0 be accompanied by a new iPhone model. You can pretty much bet on it. We're hoping that aside from a new 3G iPhone we'll see the return of the Newton - a 10-inch screen with full wireless and network connectivity, storage and all the features needed to bridge the gap between smartphone and sub-notebook. By Gadjo C. Sevilla

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iPhone OS 3.0 update coming up

Updated iPhone software coming soon but will it come with a new device? According to Engadget The Apple iPhone OS 3.0 will be previewed on March 17th. This appears to be a pretty big update, big enough to merit its own event. Will iPhone OS 3.0 include the widely demanded cut-and-paste function? Will there be additional features perhaps involving the VoiceOver technology, more GPS, Amazon Kindle-like features? Its hard to tell at this point since they will be announcing what we can expect and fielding information to developers. Does this have anything to do with the rumored touchscreen netbook. New iPhone, new Apple netbook, an eBook reader, we can't really say at this point but we're anticipating what this new update can offer and if any new devices will be announced as well.

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Reshuffle: Apple's new iPod navigates by voice

Smaller than your average shuffle - the new iPod with VoiceOver Apple has released the third generation of its smallest, cheapest MP3 player -the iPod Shuffle. The new shuffle, which packs 4GB of storage for roughly 1000 AAC encoded songs (perhaps more in MP3 format) is even smaller than its predecessor and eschews the buttons and clickwheel which was a staple in the past two versions. Without any buttons and controls on the iPod Shuffle (they've been moved to a sliver of plastic attached to the headset), the anodized aluminum device (in black or silver) is sleek and seamless. It is smaller than a AA battery and with the attached clip the new shuffle is super-portable. VoiceOver in the House Taking a feature from the current iPod Nano, the new Shuffle can access song names and even playlists using VoiceOver. This feature is enabled once you press on the headset dongle. The robotic voice is eerily similar to the one belonging to the new Amazon Kindle, making us think that a trend of talking gadgets and devices are well on their way. The VoiceOver technology manages to work in different languages as well. VoiceOver solves a problem with the shuffles which made it impossible to create or navigate playlists. Competing products from Creative and others manages to squeeze in tiny OLED screens to help guide users through the navigation. The new iPod Shuffle doesn't have a standard headphone jack, so if you're particular about the headset that you use you might need to wait until Apple comes up with a solution (supposedly in the works). Otherwise you will need to content yourself with the white buds that come with the controller. The iPod Family - Now easier to lose As you can see the new Shuffle is incredibly tiny. Hopefully the sound quality is outstanding and the VoiceOver technology works well or is easy enough to use. It seems that the unibody look and construction of the MacBooks is quickly inspiring the rest of the Apple product line.

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