Trēo 700p still used in one of CSI: Las Vegas latest episodes

I was just catching up on the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation): Las Vegas tv series this afternoon, and as I was sitting comfortly on the couch, I almost missed the appearance of Palm Trēo 700p during the show.

Lucky enough, the Trēo 700p was shot close up and personal so it's pretty obvious to see. It was belong to the victim, which was used to write down expenses such as telephone and car bills. And how do I know it is the 700p instead of the 680? The big ol' antenna is the one which gives away the clue that it is the 700p model (left image).

It's quite amazing, really. With all those new smartphones in the market nowadays, the Palm Trēo 700p is still used in one of the CSI latest episodes (season 9, episodes 15: Kill Me If You Can). And what's more amazing is, that it's not the newer model (680) which is used. This shows how attached common people (in the U.S.) to Palm's smartphones, especially the early models.

Perhaps the Prē will be able to repeat this much of success for Palm? Do you see this Palm? You better be... ;-p

Microsoft dares another lawsuits with Windows Touch logo

Microsoft is on the loose again...

Even with embarassing lawsuits on its Windows Vista compatibility sticker still linger in our memory, the software giant dares us all again with another highly potential lawsuit in the future by announcing the Windows Touch logo program.

Microsoft plans to standardize the new touch feature which will be built-in to Windows 7, and the approach is with Windows Touch logo program, the logo will tell consumers that the PC and all of its components are optimized for the touch feature.

"A major benefit of the Windows ecosystem is diversity – PCs come in all shapes and sizes. To help ensure that there is a great Windows Touch experience across the many different types of PCs we have defined a set of measurements and tests for Windows Touch that are part of the Windows Logo," said by the Windows 7 team at their blog.

And like the same ol' Microsoft we know who love to diversify its products offering, this Windows Touch logo will also be spread over three different type of softwares to support the touch feature, they called it as a 'Good-Better-Best software stack':

1. Good: The “good” bucket is what touch-unaware applications get for free from Windows 7. This type will provide basic support for touch features such as scrolling and zooming.
2. Better: The “better” bucket is focused on adding direct gesture support and other small behavior and UI changes to make apps more touch-friendly.
3. Best: Applications or features that fall into the “best” bucket are designed from the ground up to be great touch experiences. Developers can use this to go beyond the core system gestures and build custom gesture support for their applications.

Sounds confusing? Don't worry, you're not the only one. We can smell 'stinky' confusing sticker incident long before this Windows Touch logo program becomes official along with the final release of Windows 7. But maybe that's how Microsoft rolls, that's how they do their business, that's how they like the attentions coming from lawsuits.

Add this Windows Touch logo into the six types of Windows 7 offering, mix them together, stirred not shaken, and voila! You'll get a headache in no time for choosing the right Windows version for your PC computer or laptop/netbook, too bad the package doesn't include an aspirin. ;-p

But IMHO, Microsoft is not only rising potential lawsuits on this Windows Touch logo from confused consumers, the new built-in touch feature in Windows 7 is also inviting possible lawsuit against iPhone's multi-touch patent from Apple. Just take a look at how the Windows 7 team describes the core gestures of Windows 7's touch feature:

• Tap and Double-tap: Touch and release to click. This is the most basic touch action.
• Drag: Touch and slide your finger on screen.
• Scroll: Drag up or down on the content (not the scrollbar!) of scrollable window to scroll.
• Zoom: Pinch two fingers together or apart to zoom in or out on a document.
• Two-Finger Tap: Tapping with two fingers simultaneously zooms in about the center of the gesture or restores to the default zoom.
• Rotate: Touch two spots on a digital photo and twist to rotate it just like a real photo.
• Flicks: Flick left or right to navigate back and forward in a browser and other apps.
• Press-and-hold: Hold your finger on screen for a moment and release after the animation to get a right-click.

Don't they look familiar to you? Especially for iPhone users, and for those who owns the new MacBooks with its multi-touch glass trackpad. And if the 358-page of iPhone multi-touch patent does cover most of the basic and advanced use of touch features, then Apple has the chance of rattling the lion's cage (read: Microsoft's own touch patents). Because it's for sure that Microsoft will bring some of those Windows Touch features into Windows Mobile 7, it's only a matter of time...

Sources are from Windows 7 blog, via Electronista.

How will Apple handle iPhone death by the Push Notification?

Rene Ritchie from the iPhone blog posted up a very interesting question entitled "Dear Apple: How Will You Handle Death-By-Push-Notification?"

The iPhone OS 3.0 is promised by Apple to arrive on summer this year, and among the most talked about features beside those user-friendly features, is the Push Notification service. It is basically Apple's workaround for background process which is demanded by iPhone software developers, in short the Push Notification will alert users whenever there are new messages coming in. But Rene thought something about this service that might actually causes more problems than solution and most probably death to the iPhone itself, here it is:

"It’s summer 2009 and iPhone OS 3.0 has just been made available via iTunes. ... Then it happens. 20 new Twitter DMs. 3 co-workers IM you. Every tech blog you follow updates about iTunes not crashing this time. Your calendar reminds you about that meeting coming up. And your entire FPS combat team all invite you to come join their game. Suddenly Push Notification is trying to pop up 30 text boxes all at once — while you’re in the middle of an urgent phone call."

Rene got a point there, even though we don't know how the Push Notification service implemented in real use because the iPhone OS 3.0 software has yet to be released, Apple has not disclosed any details regarding how the long awaited service will handle many notifications at once. It seems unfair to say Apple might not see this kinda problem coming from miles away, not to say that Apple has been prepping this service since the introduction of iPhone OS 2.0, and they say it is ready now.

But for sure, it's very interesting to envision how the Push Notification will take shape when it's coming along with the software update. Now from here on, everything I'll say is under the AS IF condition because they're just predictions. For you who read my previous post about this new Push Notification service in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0, here's a quick reminder of the three kind of the Push Notification types:

1. badges overlay an app icon on iPhone home screen (like the red unread message count icon over Mail app),
2. sound alerts,
3. text alerts that visually appear like text message alert.

I'd say the iPhone OS 3.0 will keep the old way of handling the incoming messages, it will stack the messages like we have now with the current software, but if user dismisses the messages then those will be shown as red-colored circle badges with numbers on the top of the related app icons. Only after user decides to open those messages by launching the related apps, then the app will tell Apple's server that the messages have been opened to reduce the un-open messages left. Because like what I've mentioned in my previous post, that the app only maintain connection with Apple's server only if it's running.

Suffice to say, users won't loose the dismissed messages but still don't solve the hassle if there are over 20-30 messages coming in and you need to check them one by one via related apps. Apple's answer if asked, is probably will recommend users to use the new Spotlight feature to quickly search for the un-open messages. But even with Spotlight, users will probably (again...) have to remember what messages coming from which apps, or need to remember the key words from the messages. Unless the iPhone's Spotlight can perform like the one in Macs, where for an example all the users need to do is write "new message" then Spotlight will show them in alphabetical order or according to the oldest first or newest ones.

It'll be interesting to see how Apple will wrap this up in a nice little bundle of package called iPhone OS 3.0, because no matter how it'll be handled, the iPhone will always be compared to its closest rival: the Palm Prē™ with its multi-cards system. Just like what Rene has said: "Both the Google Android with its top-down slider and the Palm Pre with their bottom loaded notification area provide a far less obtrusive and simultaneously more persistent — and dare we say more elegant? — notification solution." ;-)

Geeks reinvent the new iPod Shuffle as a fashion tech-cessory

Read this post with one big Apple love that hearts every products the fruit-logo company make, especially the intriguing new iPod Shuffle.

I haven't got the chance to mock... err, I mean to discuss the new Shuffle, but since Sammy is throwing a brand new Shuffle at PalmAddict, then I suppose this will be a good time to do so.

As you've already learned, Apple decided to ditch the famous wheel-click and replaced it with voice control located at the earbud cord, the new technology called VoiceOver. Because of that making the new Shuffle thinner than ever, and weight less than the previous models. But Apple also touting it as "Fashion tech-cessory," and it appears to be true.

Take the sassy-beauty Veronica Belmont for an instance, she uses her new Shuffle as hair clip. Perhaps she lost her daily hair clip, and so her boyfriend the Gdgt tech-blogger Ryan Block took the initiative to replace it with the newly bought Shuffle. But still, she noted the Shuffle as a potential choking hazard. ;-p

And there's Dylan Tweney, who uses his Shuffle for tie clip (right image). That's actually a great way to show off your new gadget to your co-workers, as well as a fashion replacement for those fancy expensive tie clips used by uptight executives.

In any ways, they all are making the most of their new Shuffle. Showing that even geeks also have their fashion awareness too, it's just kinda quirky to see how they thought about it and do it. Hey maybe it's true, seeing the Apple logo really do make you to think more creative? ~LOL~

Source is from iPhone Savior.

Get $5 worth Wolfstein 3D for FREE at Cydia

No really, you didn't misread that. The exact same game Wolfstein 3D game from Id Software, which is offered for $5 at App Store since March 23rd; is now available for free at Cydia!

It is the exact same, because it is the same game. It's all thanks to Id Software who published the game under General Public License (GPL), and put the source code in the open for everyone to download.

Two days later Zodttd simply downloaded the source, compiled, and published it to Cydia. Click on this link (via ModMyiPhone) to get it!

So, I wonder which one you'll choose: the $5 worth official game or the free legal same game at no cost? *chuckles* Like I need to ask, rite? ;-p

Ngmoco CEO: "Why the iPhone has changed everything"

Kicking off the Game Developer Conference (GDC) as one of the starting speakers, Neil Young; founder and CEO of Ngmoco stole everybody's attention with his presentation entitled: "Why the iPhone has changed everything."

He opened the speech with a discussion of mobile platforms war between the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, Neil theorized how Nintendo might use the native functionality of the iPhone. Neil believes that the iPhone’s social qualities will affect all apps and there will be likely a whole new slew of online multiplayer apps.

Then his presentation showed 'LiveFire', a first person game app for iPhone from Ngmoco which is based upon the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 software. LiveFire uses Push Notification so users can request a friend to join the game, the game also features the new In-App Purchase to buy new weapons and levels directly from the game. Please read my previous post for brief explanation on these two new features.

Neil sees iPhone as a game changing device that bring together console, social, and PC gaming into one platform. “The App store has created a level playing field,” said Neil. He explains that Apple has “fostered an ecosystem … there are over ten thousand developers out there” in addition to over twenty-five thousand applications. Neil's words somehow in match with what I've described in my post about iPhone OS 3.0 impact on other mobile platforms.

Read the whole news coverage at Macworld article, and you can watch the LiveFire demo at this link.

Meebo CEO: iPhone's Push Notification is what we needed

Apple plans to put inside plenty of user-friendly features into the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 software update in summer, and the Cupertino-based company is working on a native iPhone feature to answer the challenge of multitasking ability from other mobile platforms: Push Notification.

Software developers have been complaining about the lack of background process in iPhone which is needed for their apps to work properly, but instead of letting they have it their way, Apple promises a more efficient way to do that with Push Notification (read my previous post on this).

Meebo has been around for quite some time, where before the iPhone OS 3.0 arrive, Meebo has a web-optimized iPhone app and an Android app to offer to its users. And Ars Technica spoke with Meebo's CEO Seth Sternberg about his company's forthcoming chat app, and why it will make a significant breakthrough for iPhone. Here's a snip of the interview:

When asked why Meebo has waited until now to offer a native iPhone app Sternberg offered the obvious answer: Push Notifications. "We have high standards, and a native chat app without some kind of a background system is a bad experience." Push Notifications was the answer Meebo needed, and the forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 feature will allow users to be alerted of new messages even when they're not running the software.

We are yet to know how good and useful this Push Notification feature will be until iPhone OS 3.0 released to users later, but for a start Meebo is feeling the love of what the Push Notification can bring to their app. And like what David Chartier from Ars Technica has said in his article: "When Meebo arrives sometime this summer, it will probably be one of the best examples of what is possible with iPhone OS 3.0's new Push Notifications features." There will be more apps to come to make the most of this new Push Notificaition feature. Read the rest of the interview at Ars Technica page.

John Mayer's Twitter addiction made Jennifer Aniston dump him

Mark this post under the 'off topic' category, well slightly but not completely. Because it did however involve the use of Twitter, which many of you use nowadays.

The broken hearted but so loveable Jennifer Aniston has always been an easy target of celebrities gossip ever since she broke up with Brad Pitt, and unfortunately her latest love story with John Mayer doesn't have a happy ending either.

Jen (40) reportedly dumped John (31) after finding out he's addictively post his idle thoughts on Twitter rather than to talk or spend time with her. According to Jen's friend who told Star magazine:

“John suddenly stopped calling her or returning her emails and when she would finally catch up with him, he’d say: ‘I’ve been so busy with work. I’m sorry I haven’t had time to call you back’. Jen was fuming. There he was, telling her he didn’t have time for her and yet his page was filled with Twitter updates.”

“Every few hours, sometimes minutes, he’d update with some stupid line. And in her mind, she was like ‘He has time for all this Twittering, but he can’t send me a text, an email, make a call?’ He didn’t even deny it. He knew he was avoiding her. So when she called him on it and ended things, he just said OK, and that he was sorry it didn’t work out. He took the break-up like a man.”

The "Marley & Me" actress is now single, again. Giving hope to hundreds of single men out there, even though they can only fantasize of having one date with her. John, you might regret your geek addiction someday... And this goes for you guys too, who love to Twitter so much rather than to have a real relationship with someone real in the real world. ;-p

Sources are from Valleywag and Gossip Girls.

The pretty "white-lies" of Apple's secret to success

What is Apple's secret to success? That's a million-dollar worth of question if you can give the answer to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

There were many attempts to discover the secret, Apple has been measured, spied upon and poked around many times but the answer remain as one big mystery.

But what do you know, on Thursday at the McGraw-Hill Companies' Media Summit New York, where Steve Ballmer was interviewed via webcast by BusinessWeek editor-in-chief Stephen Adler; Microsoft CEO finally found out one of the answers in his own "white-lies" version:

"The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be."

Is Ballmer right? Do they (Mac users) paid $500 extra just to get a fruit logo slapped on their hardware? Is this Apple's secret? Is that why Steve Jobs is so filthy-rich? Weeell... not exactly, but Ballmer does have a point there. Because let's take the white 13-inch MacBook for an example; it is sold for $999 which you'll get 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo chip, 2GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive. Let be honest here okay, for the same price you can get a better equipped PC laptop. But yes, it is a Windows-powered machine not a Mac.

Personally, I found the price is also one big obstacle for me to own the cutting-edge (literally) MacBook Air with the highest model. Which I have to pay a hefty additional $999 from the base price tag for the 128GB SSD instead of the lame ol' 160GB HDD, no wonder I keep thinking it is ridiculous and never get one. But that's just me though... ;-p

But why even though they know that they're paying more money for a Mac than a PC, they still buy it? Mac users can give plenty of answers and reasons on why they chose a Mac not a PC, but let's not delve into technical stuffs because perhaps the most honest answer is like what Scott Kriens (Juniper’s CEO at Sunnyvale) has said: "Everybody told me I should get one, it's not anything to do with negative perceptions about Microsoft. It's just that Macs are cool."

Ohkay, if talking about feeling is not scientific enough for you, how about this: according to researchers at Duke University and the University of Waterloo that when thinking about Apple makes people more creative. They conducted a test by showing brand logo of companies like Apple and IBM, and after exposing them to the brands, the researchers asked subjects to describe as many uses for a brick as they could.

The results are: IBM-primed subjects had strikingly uniform answers, most people mentioned a door stop or a paperweight. While the Apple-primed subjects averaged 30% more answers and independent reviewers also deemed their answers as more creative.

You must be asking, how creative? Gavan Fitzsimons, one of the Duke professors who conducted the study said: “But the subjects who had seen Apple’s logo also came up with uses like tying it around my roommate’s foot and throwing him in a deep pond." ~LOL~

Fitzsimons believes that the key to shaping behavior is unconsciously planting the brand image. And so Fitzsimons replaced his Thinkpad with a Mac three months after the test. “I figure I’ll be walking by it everyday and sometimes I’ll see it without thinking,” he said. “I felt like if I really believe this stuff, I should put my money where my mouth is.” ~bigger LOL~

And that's probably the pretty white-truth that Steve Ballmer has been looking for, the real honest answer to his problem why with all the large amount of money injected to promote Windows and even with help from Jerry Seinfield have all failed. It's like what Mark Slaga, chief information officer of Dimension Data, who says he received up to 25 e-mails from his employees asking for permission to use Macs at work. He concedes, "Steve Jobs doesn't need a sales force because he already has one: employees like the ones in my company."

That's gotta be one hell of a hard-honest feeling for Steve Ballmer to chew on... ;-)

Sources are from:

• Ballmer Is Right: Mac Users Do Pay Dearly for Apple Logo (PC World)
• The Mac in the Gray Flannel Suit (BusinessWeek)
• Think Apple: It Boosts Creativity (Wall Street Journal)

iPhone OS 3.0 impact on other mobile platforms

It had been two straight posts where I was talking about the iPhone OS 3.0 software and the exciting new features in it, so I better stop using “part” to show continuous topic and start with a new title before it gets out of hand. ~LOL~

iPhone is on the spotlight once again with the announcement of new software update that’s coming to this summer, or let’s just say the news have cooled down a bit and will be on the rise again when the software update is released (months from now) to users worldwide.

And as iPhone users are having “itchy update fingers” on to the OS 3.0, how about software developers? With many other mobile platforms out there right now: Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian, Android and even the upcoming Palm’s webOS™; they are facing a big challenge on which platform they should be supporting. Or instead, should they do like what Scott Austin from Wall Street Journal has said in his article: “…or should they spend the extra effort and money to make sure the app works across multiple operating systems?”

Scott is not the only one who’s been thinking about this dilemma for developers, ZDNet blogger Larry Dignan also has been thinking about the same thing: “There are only so many developers and there is only so much time. At some point developers will have to choose sides–or at least eliminate a few platforms as options.”

Larry then concluded that in the end the selection will likely boils down to three obvious factors: money, reach of the platform, and developer relations. But both Larry and Scott indirectly agree on the important of how developer friendly is for a platform to support great apps to be developed for the success of the platform itself, simply put: the developers along with their apps are one of the keys to make a platform triumph over another/competitors.

So when Apple introduced App Store, the Cupertino-based company struck a gold. The fact says there were over 800 million apps downloaded from App Store, and that’s not even the exact number up to today. Not long afterwards, other mobile developers follow suit to release their own app store. Let’s take a quick stroll over them:

Apple’s App Store

There’s no need of an introduction or anything else to tell you anymore about App Store, perhaps almost half of you mobile addicts have know it yourselves. We are yet to see what it’ll become, since Apple is planning to re-design the store when iPhone OS 3.0 is out in summer this year. But there’s one big problem in App Store, that even perhaps Apple can’t sort it out: a vast sea of crap apps collection. If the company who invented the App Store itself can’t fix it, then it’s bound to be bloated with junks till explode…

Android’s Market

Android did have a bang when released in the form of T-Mobile G1 or HTC Dream, an open mobile platform sponsored by Google, that’s a real magnet for software developers. But the excitement now went cold after the Market was opened, there aren’t much of buzz generated to be seen around the blogosphere except at Android communities. The fame could come back to Android if just there are more Android-powered handsets out there, but the wheel of production doesn’t seem to churn fast enough before iPhone (and possibly Palm Prē™) took everything left.

RIM’s BlackBerry App World

We don’t know how fair App World will be, because RIM is taking its time to bake and shake it before opening it up, I’d say too long. But RIM might have confident, because with strong sales of its BlackBerry handsets all over the world and its deep roots into big companies who use the company’s email system, the App World seems to have bright opening (when it finally opened).

Palm’s App Catalog

Palm’s “new-ness”: the webOS™ and the Prē™ are predicted to be the next big thing in mobile platforms, the one that analysts and reviewers are calling it as the “iPhone-killer” (Palm didn’t fond of the nick-name so much though). But because it is a newly born platform, Palm still need to prove many things that webOS™ is as good as advertised before software developers start jumping aboard. Other than keeping tight lips on the launch date of the Prē™, Palm also stays mum about App Catalog. Palm is doing a superb job at killing-off the heat of the Prē™ since its introduction at CES 2009, good job Palm…

Nokia’s “Ovi” app store

The number one mobile manufacturer in the world apparently comes up as an under-dog in opening up its own app store, Nokia may have strong grounds in international market, but clearly not in the U.S. But still, it’s hard to understand why Nokia seems reluctant to make its “Ovi” successful even on the other side of the world.

So, after you seen a quick look at above stores, imagine yourself as a software developer then which one who do you think is more favorable to pick right now?

Wait, before you give any answer, let’s hear out what Accel Partners’ Rich Wong has said: Developers should consider the subset of handsets that deliver the best experience for the application. If, for instance, a start-up is building an enterprise application, it perhaps should choose the BlackBerry and those devices using the Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems.

In contrast to that, Shasta Ventures Managing Director Robert Coneybeer stated: “We think the iPhone and Android are really driving a wedge in the industry, and companies that focus on one or two platforms can really win…the successful start-ups that break out are the ones that focus on a few key platforms.”

Everyone may have been nothing but predicting of what the future will take shape of, and talking sweet about Apple and its iPhone, but at least Coneybeer is talking about the facts: “Just follow the developer activity on the iPhone and you’ll see it’s got 20 to 30 times more activity than any other platform. You don’t hear about the Windows Mobile meet-up where people say, ‘Hey, let’s get together, drink beer and talk about writing Symbian or Windows applications.’”

We are blind if we are not to see the evident math here: over 17 million iPhones (including first gen) sold already, that’s a lot of figure of handsets that are ready to accept and install the apps made. For one simple imagination: you can rake a huge amount of income just by writing a “fart” app in your spare time, hey that’s a true story.

What iPhone OS 3.0 really mean for both software developers and users is a hope and dream of what the iPhone can really do, the same thing goes for Palm’s webOS™. Apple has gone quite far leaving behind competitors with iPhone OS 2.x, and will be running farther away to be caught up with the iPhone OS 3.0 update.

Apple is not just creating the hardware, but also all the supports and the entire new ecosystem which never known before the App Store is born, where now everyone including software devs and users can enjoy the benefits altogether.

And that's the key idea, right there: make not just hardware but also the whole ecosystem to support it. That's what Palm is lacking when the company started to stop developing Palm OS, and just selling hardwares with less supports.

And hopefully, Palm will be able to create a better app store (fingers crossed) when the Prē™ finally gets to be launched.

Sources are from:

• Where is the excitement and buzz for the Android Market? (ZDNet)
• The war for mobile developers is on: Do you have to pick sides? (ZDNet)
• A Platform Pickle For Mobile App Developers (WSJ)
• iPhone OS 3.0: Showing us just how big the iPhone is (TG Daily)

Cell Stickies for those ego-striking iPhone owners in denial

These days, everybody wants an iPhone. Not just because it's one of the most cutting-edge mobile devices in the market right now, but also because of iPhone's big screen can be used to show off how popular you are when encouraging text messages come in.

Fiona Carswell knows this too well, and so she designs "Cell Stickies." Cell Stickies is a small booklet of plastic sheets with ego-stroking text messages printed on them. Peel off a Cell Sticky and slap it on your iPhone screen, showing you the message you really wanted to see. ~LOL~

Sources are from FIONA CARSWELL projects, via iPhone Savior.

The 18 months replacement policy to prevent jailbroken iPhones

Poor Roney, for the next 18 months he can't buy another new iPhone because Apple and AT&T suspect him of being a jailbreaker.

It all started when Roney lost his iPhone, and when he wish to get a new one, he got rejected at every Apple Stores he came to because there's a new policy of one iPhone replacement in 18 months went into effect few weeks ago in order to prevent the spreading of jailbroken iPhones.

Here's the complete sad story of Roney as reported at ModMyPhone:

Originally Posted by Roney
I unfortunately left my iPhone unattended for a brief period over the weekend and when I came back it was gone. On Monday, I went to visit my local ATT store and they were unable to sell me a new iPhone, even at the $499 price. Apparently I have had too many iPhones on my line. I then called customer care and was then bounced to an Apple store to see if they could sell me the phone. The same error occured on their system and the Apple employee advised that two weeks ago a new policy went into effect preventing them from selling too many phones on a line because people are jailbreaking them.

I originally bought an 8gb and returned it for a 16gb within the first 30 days of service. Now I lost my 16gb and they won't sell me another for 18 months! After using my lunch break I went back to work and decided I would try again at another ATT store. The next store said they had to deal with the same problem and asked me if I was attached to my phone number. They offered to cancel my line and start another, or add a line so that I could purchase an iPhone. I told them this was not an option because I had to pay an ETF through Verizon to keep this number and I would not part with it. I also did not need another line and would not pay more for monthly service, especially if I was about to pay $500 for a replacement iPhone. I then asked to speak to the manager who said that he would emails his ops team, whatever that means.

So here I am waiting to hear from the manager and feeling like I am being punished for upgrading my phone early on. Also, why do they care how many phones I buy at full price? Any suggestions or help would be appreciated. Has anyone else had this trouble?

And as I read the users feedback of the post, one reader from U.K. says that the 18 months policy also have taken effect in there. Where now every iPhone in the U.K. must be bought using a credit/debit card - linking the buyers name/address with the relevant companies system, preventing multiple unit purchases. But then here comes the funny part, I'll quote directly from the post:

"The O2 employee informed me that a man in the UK went to EVERY O2 store with a different name/address buying 1-3 iPhones at each store and selling them on. He got caught, has to pay X amount of money back to O2 and now the rules are changing and are being strictly enforced. I got this same info from multiple O2 stores as i was trying to buy another iPhone for a relative but couldnt because of the new rules and kept getting the same excuses - eventually i got a nice manager who agreed to the sale (and with cash)."

The reason why people buy iPhones and sell them again at higher price is pretty clear for everyone, it's because the iPhone is so darn popular. But the reason on why Apple and AT&T to use that 18 months policy is kinda ridiculous, and childish. Hey, accident happens and do they expect the owners to chain their iPhone? ;-p