Mobile Apple Me

The hottest new battlefield weapon in Baghdad is also a hot item on the home front. The U.S. military has found the iPod Touch to be a valuable battlefield tool for soldiers.

The report notes that the iPod and applications developed for the iPhone perform many functions in this time of "networked warfare." The devices helping as intelligence resources, such as aerial images from drones and translation software. Included is a program called Vcommunicator translates spoken and written Arabic, Kurdish, as well as two Afghan languages.

One application developed for the iPhone allows soldiers to take a photo of a street sign, upload it and immediately receive intelligence on the local area, such as water and sympathizers. The report from Newsweek detailed that as new recruits were already familiar with how the iPod and iPhone work, it has been easier to train soldiers on loading content. Not to mention, the cost is significantly better than other military purchases.

via CNET

Wall Street Journal has launched an iPhone app for free iTunes link, while their web version costs $103 per year, even on Amazon's Kindle the Journal is $9.99 a month. (The similar app, but for the BlackBerry, has been released last August.)

A bit late jumped on the mobile content bandwagon (since brand-name news including Bloomberg, NYT, CNN and AP have joined the iPhone apps recently), you will find every page in the new iPhone app is underlined with a prominent. Since it's free and its content is worth reading, I think it's quite fair.

As for the iPhone app itself, as PC World points out, it’s very similar in style to that of The New York Times, which also has a free app. The WSJ‘s app, though, prominently features videos and podcasts. One thing that’s missing: a search function. It does, however, include the other parts of the WSJ Digital Network like Barron’s and AllThingsD.

via Wired

Right on time, the option to download a new version of the BETA 3.0 OS. Started downloading yet?

All that is required is being a registered member of the development centre. Reports at this point suggest that the new version is cosmetically identical to BETA 2. The feel of it is smoother with a bit more snap. There is nothing so different to this version when sitting next to the last for anyone to panic.

As more reports about 3.0 come about, will certainly let you know. Would love to hear your thoughts!

via BoyGeniusReport

Who and where parts of the iPhone doesn't always come to light. When it does, the information makes for interesting reading, regardless of the model phone you own.

The love is spread rather widely for the development and manufacture of the next batch of iPhones. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and two of its subsidiaries, one a packaging and testing house Xintec, the othera color filler maker VisEra Technologies are likely to benefit from their roles in the manufacturing of the next-generation iPhone, according to industry sources.

TSMC have landed foundry orders for GSM EDGE power amplifiers, Bluetooth ICs and 3.2-megapixel OmniVision CMOS image sensor (CIS) used in the upcoming iPhone model, indicated the sources. Xintec will handle the packaging and testing service for the CIS whereas VisEra will manufacture on-chip color filters for the CIS.

TSMC, Xintec and VisEra declined to comment on the report, citing customer confidentiality.

The so-called "iPhone 3.0" reportedly will be launched by mid-2009, the sources claimed. Assembly suppliers will kick off shipments for the upcoming model starting from May, with the first batch estimated to be around five million units, the sources said.

Apple next-generation iPhone: Chip and key component suppliers:

via I4U