“Could Apple be working on the much-rumoured iPhone? It’s a rumour that refuses to go away and it’s just surfaced again courtesy of a chap called Tony Ricciardi who runs a site called TreoMac. A Macintosh consultant, he tells a story of a recent encounter with a Motorola employee who claimed that a prototype Apple-branded phone has been doing the rounds within Motorola, and that iTunes and iPhoto functionality would factor into it,” T3 Magazine reports.
“Apocryphal? Possibly. Exciting? Definitely, as long as it’s taken with a small pinch of salt. One way or another we can expect to learn the truth come MacWorld,” T3 Magazine reports. here.
Tony Ricciardi (TreoMac.com Admin) writes on the TreoMac.com “Gossip/Rumor” Forum, “I can throw a little more gas onto the Apple phone rumors. I was on a train this weekend, watching an episode of the Simpsons on my Treo600. The gentleman sitting across from me asked me how I liked the phone. I told him I loved it and we began a tech conversation. He mentioned that he worked for Motorola. I told him I was a Macintosh consultant, and then he dropped the bomb! ‘I’ve got a scoop for you’, he teased. “
Ricciardi, “Apparently some of his associates had been telling him earlier in the week about an Apple branded phone that had been circulating around the office at Motorola. The phone had Motorola components, but most certainly had Apple brandings on it. He said that he did not have a chance to handle the phone, but that his direct supervisor did. The phone was “sleek and sexy” in her words. He mentioned that there was talk amongst the people who had seen it that itunes and iphoto would factor into this device somehow. They also said that the phone had a slot on the top (media slot?) as well as what looked to be a usb 2.0 port on the bottom.”
Full forum thread here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Motorola and Apple to bring iTunes Music Player to Motorola’s next-gen mobile phones – July 26, 2004
Motorola posts Steve Jobs’ Apple iTunes announcement video – July 28, 2004
Apple, Motorola iTunes on cell phones a harmonious deal that benefits both companies – August 05, 2004
Microsoft teams with Qualcomm to battle Apple and Motorola over media on cell phones – September 23, 2004
RUMOR: Apple Computer teaming with Motorola to create ‘iPod phone’ – November 30, 2004
http://www.iphone.org
this is it!
smartphones are the biggest danger for the dominance of the iPod. here in germany telcos have started to sell phones with mp3-players integrated. as this goes forward, young people will buy music that way, how they are now used to buy ringtones. apple has to do this. iPod functionality will be common in all phones in the next years with harddrives starting to be integrated in the devices. 4-8 GB is enough for most people. no need to buy an iPod if your phone already does all that stuff. please apple dont mess this up!
whoa, iphone.org!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why does it take you to the Apple website with the iphone.org address? Has it ever done this before with other words that have become products?
I’m gonna try iIron and iLightswitch to see if those do the same thing!
Imagine, an Iron with the user friendly interface of OS X!!! No no, I don’t work for Apple.
This would be GREAT but I wonder how long it would take for an iPhone to be in Japan. They are a world unto themselves over here when it comes to cellphones.
(Brought to you by the MDN Oracle’s magic word “great”. do do DO do, do do DO do)
This makes sense. The US has finally adopted cell phone technology in the same way as the Brits, i.e. as a full time phone. The biggest reasons that it is now ‘better’ to have a cell phone are: 1) the affordability of long distance, and 2) coverage across the entire country.
What this means is that your cell makes a home phone obsolete. You can call whomever from more or less wherever whenever. Example: call L.A. from Boston on a subway car for as cheap as on your home phone line. This just means that the cell meets most people’s full set of needs.
In Canada, the tiny population combined with the massive areas where you can’t get a signal make full time cell phone use less practical. So iPhone in Canada = niche item. In the US or the UK, iPhone = perfect digital lifestyle device for a large part of the population
good idea if marketed properly.
I WILL have one.
Well, nobody kicks ass in Marketing as Apple.
so unlikely. cell phone service still blows, big time. I can’t quite see Apple getting into this game unless they can improve basic connectivity.
I kinda thought the Moto Razr shares several features with a Powerbook… sleek Aluminum enclosure, backlit keys, any time you open it up in public you cause a commotion…
Puting near- microwave RF so close to your head is not a good thing. There is a study that shows a large increase in Acoustic Neuromas in long time Cell Phone users, on the side of the head that they hold their phone against their head.
By Nancy McVicar Health Writer
People who have used cell phones for at least 10 years might have an increased risk of developing a rare brain tumor, according to a study published Wednesday in the international journal Epidemiology.
A team of researchers at Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, found almost a fourfold increase of the tumors, known as acoustic neuromas, on the side of the head where the phone was most often held.
The work was done as part of the World Health Organization’s cell phone research agenda, and experts in the field said it must be taken seriously and is likely to rekindle consumer worries about the risks of using the phones.
“The Karolinska researchers are respected around the world, and this study will force health agencies to take a fresh look at mobile phone risks,” said Louis Slesin, publisher of Microwave News, who has been covering the industry since its early days. “This study should put an end to the industry’s call to stop mobile phone health research.”
At least one past study conducted for the cell phone industry also had suggested a link between the phones and this type of tumor. But cell phone industry officials on Wednesday said the Swedish research is only one study and that no conclusions can be drawn from it.
The study, involving 150 acoustic neuroma patients and 600 healthy people, is one of at least six studies of possible links between cell phone use and acoustic neuromas. Most of those studies had fewer long-term users than the Karolinska study.
http://www.hearinglossweb.com/Medical/cellAndAcNeu.htm
Motorola only supplies specific IP’s in the U.S. You gotta sign up with them to get a Moto phone. They also vary the looks and features for the different service providers. Most IP’s sell the phones at cost (ecept new ones such as the Razor, which is currently only available with Cingular) to get people to sign up. Outside of the U.S. you can buy cellphones without a provider commitment. Since Apple already announced they were working with Moto on a cellphone compatible with iTunes this is not really news. Remember if a service provider doesn’t offer Moto phones you won’t be able to use an Apple branded one.
Whois says:
Domain ID:D15354654-LROR
Domain Name:IPHONE.ORG
Created On:16-Dec-1999 04:59:34 UTC
Last Updated On:27-Jul-2004 18:32:41 UTC
Expiration Date:16-Dec-2005 04:59:33 UTC
[…]
Registrant ID:mKn-14211604
Registrant Name:Apple Computer , Inc.
Just a leftover from a wild idea back in 1999? So far Jobs has always denied the existence of a phone from Apple!! Don’t put up your hopes…
Eric,
Correction: nobody kicks ass in ‘creating products that people actually want to buy and use’ as Apple. There is a difference.
A company can put a load of shit into a box and MARKET the hell out of it, but at the end of the day it’s still going to be a piece of shit (can anyone say ‘Napster’? I knew you could).
The success and fortunes of a company rise or fall depending on whether or not a company can produce a product (good) or service that people will actually want to (listen carefully) spend money on. If people aren’t willing to buy it, it doesn’t matter how much a company is willing to spend on marketing (Creative, are you listening?). In corporate-speak, ‘marketing’ means: “We’re going to try to convince people how much they need/want our widget.” And then they may proceed to try to get us to buy (spend our money on) whatever it is.
With Apple, it’s not about marketing. It’s about making (in the words of Jon Ives) ‘beautiful things’ that people want to have as a part of their lives. Some people just don’t understand this, and never will.
Aha!!! Proof:
http://www.iphone.com
. . . got nothing but wild speculation . . .
On a serious note: think of the rumoured (iPod photo, head-only iMac) and unexpected products (AirPort Express, to name one, iPod socks to name another) which came out in 2004. Think Apple is going to follow that up with just some ho-hum year?
If they’ve shown us anything, it is that they can innovate their way out of a locked safe
/hopeful
ok so what about an ” iMammal” ??
as in http://www.mammals.org
iMammaries?
I hope Sprint picks it up.
About the “clue”
Concerning iPhone
do a whois on iphone.com. It ain’t apple.
Oops I take it back.
iphone.ORG
?
Domain ID:D15354654-LROR
Domain Name:IPHONE.ORG
Created On:16-Dec-1999 04:59:34 UTC
Last Updated On:27-Jul-2004 18:32:41 UTC
Expiration Date:16-Dec-2005 04:59:33 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:EmarkMonitor Inc. (R37-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:mKn-14211604
Registrant Name:Apple Computer , Inc.
Registrant Organization:Apple Computer, Inc.
Registrant Street1:1 Infinite Loop
Registrant Street2:M/S 60-DR
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Cupertino
Registrant State/Province:CA
Registrant Postal Code:95014
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.4089961010
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:+1.4089741560
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:Apple-NOC@APPLE.COM
Admin ID:mKn-14211601
Admin Name:Kenneth Eddings (KE557)
Admin Organization:Apple Computer, Inc.
Admin Street1:1 Infinite Loop M/S 60-DR
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Cupertino
Admin State/Province:CA
Admin Postal Code:95014
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.4089744286
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:eddingsk@apple.com
Tech ID:mKn-14211602
Tech Name:eMarkMonitor, Inc.
Tech Organization:eMarkMonitor, Inc.
Tech Street1:12438 W. Bridger Street
Tech Street2:Ste. 100
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Boise
Tech State/Province:ID
Tech Postal Code:83713
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.2083895755
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:+1.2083895799
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:ccops@markmonitor.com
Name Server:NSERVER2.APPLE.COM
Name Server:NSERVER.APPLE.COM
Name Server:
.org?
why .org?
“No Way”: That study was done over 10 years. You do understand just how much cell phones have changed since 1995, don’t you? Today’s phones are much smaller, use much less power, and presumably put out less RF radiation.
Why .org? Probably because .com and .net were already taken? But just like iTunes.co.uk, Apple can just sue the pants off the owners and get ownership of the domain, and claim copyright infringment. Nevermind the fact that the previous owners had the names well before Apple comes up with the product. That never matters.
sigh. obviously MDN doesn’t remember …
Apple and Motorola are working together to put iTunes on phones, they told everyone that. It won’t be some uber-Apple phone, just a Motorola that can work through iTunes for music and pictures (ala iPod photo)
why is this such a big deal? there are many devices out there that allow you to make calls, look at photos, and listen to music.
why doesnt apple just put out a pda instead? iphone is idumb
Some Mac addicts will buy anything.
I have been a Mac nut since 1984 but if Apple makes a toilet, loo, biffy, dunny, kybo, whatever, I will not buy one.
iDunny, it does have a nice ring to it though.