New iPhone 3GS version blocks jailbreak modifications

Several sources are reporting that a new version of the iPhone 3GS that is shipping blocks the ability for consumers to jailbreak and unlock the smartphone device.

iClarified, a site that provides resources on how to modify iPhone devices, reports that iPhones with the new boot ROM ,iBoot-359.3.2, began shipping last week, and that the new ROM breaks compatibility with current jailbreak software. A member of the iPhone Dev-Team, makers of iPhone exploiting software, confirmed that a jailbreak would be impossible until a workaround is found.

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=8034

Greystripe And Tribal Fusion See Success With Web-To-Mobile Ad Campaigns

Mobile ad network Greystripe recently partnered with ad placement service Tribal Fusion to allow online ads to run on iPhones, diminishing the need for mobile specific ad formats. The partnership allows online ads to run on iPhones, eliminating additional mobile campaign creative production and dealing with an additional mobile advertising vendor. And of course, online ad budgets tend to be higher than mobile ad budgets, so Greystripe says this saves companies money.

Greystripe, which extended the ads to over five hundred online to mobile campaigns, says that advertisers are seeing 10-20 times higher performance with the mobile-online ad compared to the same online campaigns with average click through rates above one percent.

The mobile ad network maintains that its rich media, Flash full-screen ads generate higher click through rates and are able to generate better revenue to its publishers. With the Tribal Fusion program, Greystripe takes online Flash ads and transcodes them to make them fit on iPhones. Although Greystripe claims its rates are higher, we’ve heard they are on par with AdMob’s rates. That being said, the program does make it easier for ads to travel seamlessly from web-based to mobile platforms.

It’s important to note that one of the leaders in the ad network space, AdMob, was recently acquired by Google, leaving many of its competitors scrambling to compete with one of the largest companies in the world. Greystripe has been actively working to innovate its offerings over the past year; and has even received an $2 million infusion from NBC Universal.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/17/greystripe-and-tribal-fusion-see-success-with-web-to-mobile-ad-campaigns/

Issuu Mobile Makes Reading Books And Magazines Easier On Android

What is the best reading experience on a touchscreen device? As magazines and tablet-makers grapple with this question for larger form factors, Issuu has an answer for touchscreen phones. The Web-based document-viewer just released Issue Mobile for Android phones, and is working on an iPhone app.

Issuu Mobile is a mobile document reader which gives you access all the magazines, books, and documents uploaded to Issuu. Millions of public documents have been uploaded, just like on Scribd or DocStoc, and you can view your own private documents in your own account as well. The Android app shows featured content and addresses the small screen size with a new EasyRead feature. You just scratch a portion of the text and it pops up in a magnified view. You can also subscribe to publishers and news feeds.

Everything on Issuu is free or promotional right now, but you can find previews and free editions of books from Penguin, Random House and indie magazines. Issuu really needs a store like Scribd’s. But it is creating new mobile reading experiences which everyone can learn from.

I just wonder of down the road you need a separate app, or whether you can get the same reading experience from the Web. For now, Issuu is offering both and, at least for smaller screens, optimizing the experience with an app.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/17/issuu-mobile/

ComScore: iPhone overtakes Windows Mobile use for the first time in US

There are plenty of ways to measure smartphone marketshare. IDC measures units shipped from manufacturers whereas Gartner measures units sold to consumers. Then there's comScore, the research firm that conducts monthly surveys in the US to measure the total number of devices (and thus operating systems) currently in use. Its latest data is summarized above for the three-month period ending in October. See those yellow lines? If our kindergarten skills haven't failed us, then this data shows iPhone usage surpassing the once mighty Windows Mobile OS for the very first time. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Google's Android OS is set to accelerate significantly by the time the February 2010 data rolls in as is WebOS just as soon as Palm can bring its fledgling OS to Verizon's subscriber base. What's most troubling to Redmond about this report though, is where we found it: on FierceDeveloper, a site for mobile software developers who will presumably use the data to help determine which platforms they will focus their time. Oh Windows Mobile 7, where are you?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/comscore-iphone-overtakes-windows-mobile-use-for-the-first-time/

Motorola's Shop4apps online Android app store discovered

Leave it to the gung ho gang at Android and Me to do some clever Googling and discovering Motorola's web based Android app store, Shop4apps. The store has since been removed / made hidden, but not before we got a good glimpse at the whole shebang. There's a MyLocker section to check your download history, the ability to re-download and transfer aspps to a new phone, and a special MotoAppstore client for downloading and installing the apps (which unfortunately wasn't working yet). Frankly, the images aren't too flattering, so we're hoping for some further tweaking before it's official launch. In the meantime, hit up the source link for more pictures.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/12/motorolas-shop4apps-online-android-app-store-discovered/

SHOP4APPS Is Motorola's New Android App Marketplace

Motorola, the US-based mobile phone manufacturer, has set in motion plans to roll out its very own app store for its range of Android mobile phones in an attempt to tap into the lucrative mobile app market by providing quality applications for its smartphones.
The site, called SHOP4APPS, has been reported by Android and Me which claims to have spotted the app store by using the ‘powers’ of Google search engine.
However, the web-based app store has been reported to be still under construction and can be browsed through a PC browser or Android browser.
The blog has posted screenshots of the upcoming app store and it seems that the store will provide apps in free and paid categories.
The app store will also have a section named ‘My Locker’ which will enable the users to access download history to view previously downloaded apps.
Android and Me has also revealed that a free MotoAppstore client will be available for as a free download which will allow users to effortlessly download and install applications.
The store will also allow its users to download apps from their desktops and list them on My Locker and then download it on to their handsets. My Locker will also allow users to re-download and transfer the apps to a new handset.

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2009/12/16/shop4apps-motorolas-new-android-app-marketplace/showall/#ixzz0ZuUi1nRr

iPhone info part2.

http://www.ebuzz.co.kr/content/buzz_view.html?uid=83110&portal=001_00001