Peon's Place

An iTunes update is available. Don’t ask me what it does, besides change your version number from 9.2.0 — the site states “iTunes 9.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes.”

Thanks, that’s helpful. Informative as always, Steve.

The Associated Press reports that a California federal judge has given the go-ahead to a monopoly class action lawsuit, against both Apple and AT&T, over several aspects of the iPhone. The suit claims that Apple, in making AT&T its exclusive partner, drove up prices and stifled competition in the smartphone market. The suit seeks to, “keep Apple from selling locked iPhones in the U.S. and from determining what iPhone programs people can install.” Naturally, the suit also seeks “damages to cover legal fees and other costs.”

Apple has yet to release in an official statement in regards to the suit, but did say that it had not hurt competition. Unlocked iPhones and the ability to install applications from third party sources sounds pretty good to me, however I know iTunes is going to take a huge hit in sales if this eventually went through.

You can more here. Apple has sold over 50 million iPhones since they first came around in 2007 – I’m glad I never had one back then, they’re much sweeter now! You know, outside of reception issues..

Will it be Apple approved?

If you’ve been one of the many clamoring to see Firefox running on an iPhone, you may get your chance–of sorts.

Back in late May, Mozilla announced that it would be creating an iPhone version of its Firefox browser. On Wednesday, Mozilla submitted its Firefox Home iPhone app to Apple for testing–and, they hope, for approval.

The free Firefox Home relies on Firefox Sync, a cloud-based syncing technology that promises to securely sync your desktop bookmarks, history, and open tabs across Firefox browsers on desktops, mobile phones, and tablets.

On the coding end, Firefox Home is based on WebKit, the same technology that powers the default Safari browser. Thanks to that, there’s a good chance that Apple won’t reject the app as competing browser software, as the company has (in)famously done with other full HTML browser attempts in the past. In addition, while Firefox Home will let you view your recent sites directly from the app via a WebKit viewer, the Web pages will also open in the Safari browser.

Apart from delivering Web pages, Firefox Home will also share links via e-mail.

If you lose your iPhone or iPad while on the go, simply install this free app on any other iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to find it. If you are the owner of iPhone and/or the latest iPad you cannot afford to miss this app. The app by Apple Inc designed for iPad and iPhone can help you trace your lost or stolen phone or iPad.

Most of the applications available on the internet would require you to install the app on your device and when it gets stolen or lost the app already installed will help you locate your missing device. How this free application, Find My iPhone, is different and unique, you need not install this app on your iPhone or iPad in fact when your device is lost simply install the app on any other (may be your friends) iPhone, iPod or iPad and the app will help you locate your device.

You need to subscribe to the MobileMe services before you can locate your lost device. Once you get the MobileMe subscription you can see the position of your device on a map.  MobileMe gives you the power to use your device remotely even when it is not in your hands. For example you can remotely lock the device, erase all information and sound an alert or display messages. Lock the device remotely is a good feature especially handy in case the person who has your device is not ready to give it back or there is no chance of you getting your device back.

Get your MobileMe account from http://www.apple.com/mobileme, which comes with a trial period of 60 days.

Too bad I’ve already found everything I need with Google and other applications which work together, saving myself a hundred bucks a year.

Introduced in June 2008 to much fanfare — although soon derided by critics and consumers alike for a seriesof shortcomings — Apple’s $99 per year MobileMe service didn’t exactly get off to the best start in life. However, according to a report from MacDailyNews, Apple is planning to make MobileMe a free service “soon.” MDN’s tipster couldn’t nail down an exact date for the change, citing that it all “depends on certain facilities going operational” (read: Apple’s $1 billion, 500,000 sq. ft. server farm in North Carolina), but allegedly everything should be sorted out in the near future. The question is: if MobileMe becomes free, will Apple dole out refunds to those who paid for the service within the past year, and will Apple generate revenue off the free service with iAds?

MobileMe was originally launched on January 5, 2000, as “iTools,” a free collection of Internet-based services for users of Mac OS 9. iTools was relaunched as “.Mac” on July 17, 2002, when it became a $99 per year subscription service. .Mac was relaunched as “MobileMe” at WWDC 2008 on July 9, 2008.