Apple iPhone's Secret silicon

The precise specifications for many iPhone chips are some what hidden. Should Apple be more open about its secret ingredients? We know the precise dimensions of the outside of the iPhone--but what's inside?

Granted, many people don't care about the silicon inside their iPhone. They just want it to work. That said, I think more than a few people would like to see the specifications for the iPhone's core silicon posted on Apple's Web site.

By comparison, take your typical laptop. Prospective buyers are able to see the exact specifications and make an informed buying decision. Though the iPhone isn't offered in different processor SKUs (models) like a laptop, the iPhone comes close to a PC in its capabilities and demands more disclosure.

Nikkei's TechOn website takes a stab at what the iPhone's main chip might be--generically referred to as an application(s) processor: "An LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) printed with Apple Inc.'s logo ("339S0036 ARM K4X1G163PC-DGC3") was embedded on the center right of the board. It was assumed to be an application processor with an ARM core. Because it included a letter string beginning with 'K,' it seemed to be manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. of Korea."

The point is: Am I getting a smartphone with a Samsung, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Freescale, Nvidia or Intel processor? As high-end smartphones proliferate (such as those based on Intel's upcoming "Moorestown" processor), it would be useful to know up front who makes the applications processor and other core silicon and what the rated performance-per-watt of that chip is. And right now, the iPhone is the most prominent high-end smartphone.

Don't think smartphone makers should go down the same path as laptops, which are plastered with Intel, AMD, ATI, Nvidia, and Microsoft stickers? Maybe not. But more about what makes the device tick could only be more helpful.

The Twitterriffic 2.0 - Twitter Terrific on iPhone

Twitterriffic 2.0, the new version of the popular Twitter App for the iPhone, is now live in the iPhone App Store. We covered the release last week before it became officially available, posting a video and outlining the key features:

So what’s new in Twitterrific reviews 2.0? Multiple account support, filters for mentions, DMs, favorites, and marks (which are like personal favorites), trends, search by keyword, person, or location, saved searches, notes on users, retweet, conversations, custom shortcuts, the ability to follow/unfollow/block, expanded and condensed views, shrinkable text, and complete Twitter bios. Whoa, we’re out of breath just listing all that’s new, but we likey!

We’re particularly happy to see that key feature: retweets and the ability to use either the “via” or “RT” format to post these.

But how does it feel to use? As you can probably tell from that extensive list above, it’s incredibly feature-rich. That’s great, but it also makes the app a little more cluttered than previously. Personally I’m a fan, but others might seek sanctuary in the simplicity of Twitterrific rival Tweetie, which currently leads the pack (only Twitter.com and TweetDeck reviews have more users, says TwitStat).

So what about Tweetie? The undisputed leader among Twitter apps on the iPhone is likely to be the benchmark against which Twitterrific 2.0 is compared. And on features at least, we struggle to find any essentials missing from Twitterrific 2.0 that are already in Tweetie. There are some things it does better, too: The “Conversations Thread” view puts both sides of any TwitterTwitter reviews conversation on a single page. Another unique feature is somewhat less of a differentiator: you can “mark” a Tweet to come back to later, although it’s debatable whether this is a huge advantage over the already-included favorite feature.

AT&T to cut iPhone service plan by $10

AT&T may slash the price of its iPhone service plan by $10 when a new version of the touchscreen smartphone is launched this summer, according to a story on TheStreet.com.

The article cited analyst Michael Cote of Cote Collaborative saying that there is a "strong possibility" that AT&T will drop the entry-level price of its service plan to $59 from $69. Apple is expected to unveil the latest iPone on June 8 during the company's World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The price cut would likely help make the iPhone, which now retails for $200 with a two-year service plan with AT&T, more appealing to more mainstream customers. I've been saying for quite some time that the biggest hurdle to widescale adoption of the iPhone or any other smartphone in the mainstream market is the high price tag of the service contracts.

Consumers have shown that they are willing to pay anywhere between $100 and $200 for a sophisticated smartphone device. But the monthly service charge, which starts at $69 for the iPhone, is much harder to swallow.

It puts the real cost of the iPhone 3G over the life of the two-year contract at a whopping $1,856, which includes the price of the 8GB phone and 24 months of the most basic iPhone voice and data plan. It doesn't include the activation fee or taxes and other fees associated with the account. For subscribers who need more voice minutes or unlimited texting, the price tag is even higher.

Still, a $240 reduction in the overall cost of the phone over the life of the contract could entice some cost-conscious consumers.

AT&T and Apple have slashed the price of the iPhone twice already. The first version of the device introduced nearly two years ago was originally priced at $599 for the 8GB version. A couple months after the release, Apple reduced it to $399. When the new iPhone 3G was introduced, AT&T subsidized the cost of the phone and offered it for $199 with a two-year contract. The price cut likely helped the companies sell about 17 million iPhones last year, compared to about 4 million devices in 2007.

For the most part, Apple and AT&T have managed to keep the subsidy and sale price of the iPhone constant over the past year, while other carriers and smartphone makers have been forced to slash prices to attract customers.

Only a month after it hit the market, T-Mobile's G1 started selling for $148 from Wal-Mart. And three months after it launched the Storm, Verizon Wireless started offering a special buy-one-get-one free promotion that allowed customers who bought any BlackBerry device, including the Storm, to get another one free.

But as competition heats up in the smartphone market, AT&T and Apple could be forced to address the affordability issue to gain new customers. This is especially true as Research In Motion's consumer-focused BlackBerry Curve surpasses the iPhone in sales. And with the Palm Pre also set to launch in early June on Sprint Nextel's network, Apple and AT&T will face even more competition.

Review: PhotoFrame for iPhone

In addition to the basic features you would find in other calendar-clock iPhone applications, the Photo Frame has a much better photo slideshow.
Naturally, the app provides six photos but allows you to choose up to 20 from your photo library. Images display at an interval of 5 to 120 seconds while you set the time. And if you get bored waiting for the next photo, you can tap the screen or shake the iPhone or iPod touch for an instant change. The app overrides the auto-lock setting on your mobile device, meaning your phone won’t go to sleep in the middle of your slideshow; that way, you can keep PhotoFrame running like a real digital photo frame while you charge your iPhone at your desk.
The time and date appear at the bottom of the slideshow image. You can choose a 12 or 24 hour time. PhotoFrame is compatible with any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone 2.1 software updatespan style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">>.