Feature:
Touchscreen iPod
Music
Videos
Photos
Wi-Fi Web Browser
Safari
YouTube
iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
Starbucks Music
High Technology
Multi-Touch.
iPod touch features the same revolutionary interface as iPhone. Built to take full advantage of the large 3.5-inch display, the multi-touch interface lets you control everything using only your fingers. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, or zoom in and out on a section of a web page. And iPod touch features a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard perfect for browsing the web in Safari, searching for videos on YouTube, finding music on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, or adding new contacts.
Ambient Light Sensor
The iPod touch display has an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness to suit the ambient light in your surroundings. The result? A better experience for you and battery-saving efficiency for iPod touch.
Accelerometer
An accelerometer detects when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display, so you immediately see the entire width of a web page, your music in Cover Flow, or a photo in its proper aspect ratio.
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.
The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.
Saturnalia
In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.
The Colosseum © Corbis 
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.
I know this is a stretch, but I wanted to review this game because of the other giant monster game on the Wii, Rampage:Total Destruction. I know, I know, the game did not get very good reviews but my son really wanted to play it and darn it all, if we didn't have a good time playing and beating it. There was lots of laughs and enjoyment from both of us. Well, I figured I may be able to tap into the same magic and play a game featuring massive monsters slugging it out. I was wrong, very, very wrong.
It's almost as well known a video-game curse as making a game based on a movie, Godzilla games generally stink. Oh sure, there will be people out there who say Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee is a fine game, but it isn't, not really. Remember, this is the king of all monsters, an entire generation of children with cable and a VCR spent countless hours wasting their precious youth watching movies of grown men dressed in rubber suits duking it out over cardboard cities. Half the time there was some incoherent plot about little children and their ability to communicate with these monsters but did it really matter? We watched because it was goofy, and violent, and goofy, and the voices didn't match their mouths and it was goofy and it was one of the few guilty pleasures that I still partake in to this day. Plus, if you have seen any of the recent Godzilla movies, you would probably be somewhat impressed; the big G still has it in the movies. But I am getting off topic, the movies may rock, but this game is a real stinker and being a professional reviewer, I can back that claim in the following paragraphs.
The first thing that makes you want to cry is the fact that "Unleashed" is a horribly, horribly designed as far as the controls go. If someone were to walk into the room when you were playing they would see you swinging the wiimote around in a desperate attempt to get the character's attack to engage. Using the nunchuk attachment, you run around the screen trying to get dialed in on your opposition as you flail around the tiny controller in a pathetic disco move. Fighting is just as bad, switching from melee attacks to ranged attacks might as well have been aerobics, I swear I was sweating and breathing like I just ran the 100-meter dash after my first battle. Now that in itself wouldn't be so bad, but the game does not want to respond to the movements at all. It's an exercise in futility and it stinks. After a somewhat decent intro, to be smacked with the one-two punch of wiimote and nunchuk incompetence is almost enough to drive a Godzilla fan crazy.
Now, the visuals of the game aren't so much a step up from the GameCube's own Godzilla title, and - in fact - borrow heavily from creature design and locations. The thing that made me keep playing, and this is something only the hardcore Godzilla fan would care about, is the fact that I wanted to see as many of the famous monsters as possible. And I can happily report that all of my favorites are here: MechaGodzilla, Megalon, Biollante and my all time fave, Jet Jaguar (a robot who would reprogram itself to fight and in turn, grow to giant sizes). It was a real pleasure to see all the monsters from pretty much all of the movies. TOHO (the folks that own Godzilla and it's characters) also managed to throw in some new monsters as well. And while the game looks alright, I had high hopes for this title and was thinking it could at least push the Wii's possibilities of greatness. It does not, like I said; there are some recycled visuals and the disappointing battle locations do nothing.
Of course, the graphics stumble can be loosely attributed to the very weak storyline that the game attempts to follow. Now, at it's core, this is a brawler style game, but they could have cleaned this mess up quite a bit. By providing any number of the more popular storylines that the umpteen movies follow, the game could have had some real weight to it. For example, why not make it a more linear storyline? There are good monsters and bad ones, (they could even keep the lame crystal plot) by selecting one, you could play through the game as a hero and take on all the different bad monsters in various locations around the world. Likewise, you could play as a bad monster and take out the good ones at the some points around the planet. Reaching the end means you either save the world or enslave it for your alien masters (another common theme in the movies). Instead, there are several misguided attempts at a plot and then an all-out battle with several monsters. What's worse, you can hold back and watch the others duke it out until a winner is left, weakened. Then you slip in and kill the remaining monster. Now, it isn't as easy as this, but it is entirely possible to play the game this way since the A.I. is really lacking. Oh sure, you will need to do some fancy footwork, but eventually the monsters will turn on one another, clearly a misstep by the developers.
In addition, the game also has this horrible auto-target feature, Let me set the stage for you - you are playing as Godzilla, you are fighting King Ghidorah (a real baddie) as you have him on the ropes you wind up your radioactive fire breath. Just as you are ready to unleash a serious barbequing on him, a tank rolls into range and your auto target switches to it. You roast the tank instead of Ghidorah and he comes to and then fries you with his three dragon heads of doom. Now, this is exactly what is wrong with this game; you cannot decide 100% of the time who you are going to attack, whether you like it or not. And that, along with the poor control scheme, makes this game fail miserably.
The sound effects of the game can be argued that they are pretty accurate to the movies. There are the screams of monsters and really bad voice acting are actually par for the course in a Godzilla movie; so, the bad sound effects, horrendous voice acting and other cheesy noises are normal. However, we are all used to wanting (or needing) the coolest sound effects. This is not the case. Now I am split when it comes to this because I can appreciate bad sound effects in my Godzilla action, but since the game doesn't possess 1/10th of the fun a movie does, then I fall to the side of poor sound effects for the sake of them being just poorly made.
Key Features
3G HSDPA Technology
Bluetooth® A2DP Technology
5 Megapixel Camera with 3 x Optical Zoom & Xenon Flash
2.4 Inch TFT 262 Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Stereo FM Radio
160 Mbytes plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Option
The adorable Samsung G800 is a superior 3G phone which comes with high quality camera features. The G800 is from the same family as the hugely popular Samsung G600 & both handsets are defiantly eye catching mobile phones but with different built in capabilities. The G800 is a slide opening handset which comes with a large colour screen complete with easy access external keys. The screen on the Samsung G800 is slightly larger than the screen on the Samsung G600 as the screen measures 2.4 Inches in size & comes with a high 240 x 320 pixels screen resolution. The screen is high quality as it needs to support the high quality imaging features on board this beautiful phone. The 3G phone comes in a silver metal coloured casing or in a sleek black coloured casing which adds sophistication to this camera focused handset. The Samsung G800 is a competitor of other 5 megapixel camera focused handsets including the Sony Ericsson K850i & the Nokia N95 which all have 5 megapixel camera but that is whether the similarities end, they are all unique in design & other built in features.
The built in camera lens is situated on the back of the handset & comes with a protective lens cover which covers the lens when it is not in use to avoid damage & scratches occurring on the lens. The camera is a 5 megapixel camera feature complete with 3 x optical zoom which is a high quality zoom which provides a beautifully clear zoom for the user to enjoy. The camera comes with a xenon flash & an auto focus which makes the photo results so clear & well focused for the user when they are taking a shot. The user will find that the camera features on their new Samsung G800 are as good if not better than their standard digital camera, it truly provides impressive results. The camera feature allows the user to record moving video footage as well as capturing still photos with their 5 megapixel camera. The G800 comes with photo & video setting which allow the user to capture & record just the way they want to.
This handset is not super lightweight & feels solid to hold as it weighs a total of 134 grams. The G800 is a good size phone which is 18.8mm deep, 51.1mm wide & 101mm high. The Samsung G800 is a 3G HSDPA mobile phone which provides broadband speed technology to this mobile phone. The phone supports Bluetooth® A2DP wireless technology which allows the user to connect wireless to compatible headsets, headphones, computers & printers. The user can use a USB cable to connect to other devices when a Bluetooth® connection is either not available or required by the user. The G800 comes with EDGE & GPRS edge technology which allows the user to enjoy high speed data transfers on their phone. Connecting to the Internet from this highly capable 3G phone could not easier or quicker as the phone comes with a WAP 2.0 Internet browser which supports RSS feeds. The phone supports both XHTML & HTML Internet browsing. The Samsung G800 has 160 Mbytes of built in memory plus it comes with memory card support which allows the user to expand the phones memory to suit their needs. The phone works on a tri band GSM network complete with UMTS.
The built in phone book supports up to one thousand entries which will suit most business or personal user's demands. The G800 comes with a SMS text messaging service complete with predictive text for easy text messaging. The user can create & send a MMS multimedia message to any MMS compatible contact which can contain either a photo or video recording complete with text & sound. The phone comes with an email service which allows the user to stay in contact with the office, their business contacts, family or friends using their mobile email service. The Samsung G800 comes with a music player & FM radio feature which allows the user to enjoy all their favourite music when they are on the move. The user can change their ringtones & alerts to suit their personal taste & the phone supports MP3 ringtones. The user can enjoy mobile printing, document viewing & handsfree talking using the handsfree speaker phone feature. The Samsung G800 will attract both business & personal mobile phone users who like a bit of style in their life & want to capture their memories perfectly on this high quality camera phone.
Key Features
N81 with Expandable Memory
N81 8GB with 8 Gbytes of Internal flash Memory
WLAN Technology
3G Technology
2.4 Inch QVGA 16 Million Colour Screen
2 Megapixel Camera with 20 x Digital Zoom & Flash
Music Player with Music & Volume Keys
The Nokia N81 & Nokia N81 8GB are members of the Nokia N-Series which includes other popular phones including the Nokia N73, Nokia N77 & the Nokia N95. The N81 & N81 8GB are identical in design & features but come with differing memory options & the phones have different colour options on their casing. The Nokia N81 & Nokia N81 8GB come with a Nokia headset with remote control, connectivity cable, compact travel charger & battery but the Nokia N81 comes with a 2 Gbyte MicroSD™ memory card. The N81 comes with an expandable memory options which allows the user to add memory card to suit their storage needs & the start up kit includes a 2 Gbyte MicroSD™ memory card. The N81 is mainly black in colour with highlights of coloured edging around the casing & the navigation wheel. The N81 comes in a choice of two colours which are graphite grey & cobalt blue. The Nokia N81 8GB comes with 8 Gbytes of internal flash memory which allows the user to store much data on their new handset. The N81 8GB also comes with coloured edging around the casing & navigation wheel which are subtly coloured cocoa brown. The handset is solid & robust in design which weighs 140 grams & the overall measurements are 17.9mm deep by 50mm wide by 102mm high. The Nokia N81 & N81 8GB are beautiful in design & in capabilities. The phones are 3G capable handsets complete with WLAN technology. The phones are media, music & internet focused handsets which come with a simple slide opening casing complete with easy access music, video & function keys. The user can enjoy viewing the large screen when the handsets are open or closed. The screen is large measuring 2.4 inches with a high screen resolution & displays up to sixteen million colours for a quality viewing experience. 
The phones comes with high quality imaging features which include a 2 megapixel camera complete with flash option & 20 x digital zoom. The flash comes with a selection mode which allows the user to turn the flash on & off or to automatic flash mode or to red eye reduction mode. The user can capture still images & record video footage on their N81 or N81 8GB handsets. The user can record, stream, playback & edit video footage with ease. The user can store, share & even blog their personal images & video footage. The user will never be short of entertainment on their new phone as both phones can view games in either portrait or landscape mode & the user can enjoy lively action packed games on their handset. The Nokia N81 & N81 8GB operate on a Symbian operating system complete with S60 3.1 software. A fully charged battery will provide either up to 4 hours GSM talk time, 3 hours WCDMA talk time, 408 hours standby time, 3.5 hours QVGA video recording time, 4.5 hours QVGA video playback time, 11.5 hours music playback time or up to 6 hours of gaming.
The user can rest assure that a call will never be missed & forgotten as the Nokia N81 & Nokia N81 8GB come with a call log feature which allows the user to access all missed calls, calls received & dialled calls easily. The phones come with other easy to use communication features including a push to talk call feature, handsfree speaker phone feature, conference call & voice over IP Internet call feature. The user can take part in a face to face call using the 3G video call feature which allows the user to see who they are talking to on their screen. The 3G video call can take place between two 3G compatible mobile phone users & is a fun way to communicate & provides a real feel to any call whether it is a business or pleasure call.
The phones really come alive when the built in music functions are used & the user can enjoy many hours worth of music entertainment on their beautiful new handset. The phones both come with a high quality music player which supports all popular music formats. The user can access & control their music simply by using the dedicated music & volume keys. The music keys allow the user to play, rewind, fast forward, pause & stop music using the external keys without having to slide the phone open. The user can create & manage their music playlists on their phone. The phones come with a 5 band equaliser which allows the user to gain the best sound for the type of music being played. The user can stream music & enjoy a wireless Bluetooth stereo A2DP connection. The Nokia N81 & N81 8GB come with a FM radio feature complete with visual radio which allows the user to view information on what band or artist is playing & the name of the song they are listening to. 
The Nokia N81 & Nokia N81 8GB work over quad band technology with WCDMA which allows the user to enjoy worldwide network coverage on their new handset. The phones are 3G mobile phones which provide the user with multi tasking capabilities & the phones support WLAN technology. The user can enjoy wireless connection to compatible devices using a Bluetooth® connection between devices. The user can transfer files or data including photos, videos 7 music files using Bluetooth® Wireless technology or a USB cabled connection. The user will find their new handset provides high speed transfers with the help of the built in Edge technology. The user can enjoy a mobile Internet experience on their handset as both phones come with a Nokia browser complete with mini map. The phones come with a variety of messaging services which allow the user to stay in contact with others quickly & easily. The user can send & receive text messages, multimedia messages containing photos or video & emails complete with attachments. The messaging services are all easily accessible from the phones main menu & the user can enjoy sharing messages between all compatible messaging contacts. These phones have been designed with the user in mind & the user will fully enjoy their new mobile experience with one of these beautiful handsets as their companion.
The Samsung F700 is known as the Samsung Ultra Smart F700 which is a 3G Smartphone & comes with full touch screen controls. The F700 Ultra Smart is a highly multimedia & technology focused phone which comes in a beautifully designed handset. The handset has a smooth finish & has a sleek design with it's curved edges. The handset comes with metal effect edging & the touch screen comes with a black coloured surround. The phone comes with a side positioned slide out QWERTY keyboard which is easy to use whilst viewing the large touch screen. The phones screen is 2.78 Inches in size & comes with a fully touch sensitive screen which allows the user to make selections & access menus by using touch activated controls only. The Samsung F700 Ultra Smart comes with VibeTonz technology which allows the user to actually feel the buttons with a responsive vibration. The large screen provides up to 262k colours with a screen resolution of 420 x 240 pixels. The Samsung F700 is similar in design to other touch screen handsets which include the Apple iPhone & the LG KE850 Prada. The handset is 104mm high by 50mm wide by 16.4mm deep which is a solid & compact size for a 3G handset.
The phone comes with High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network which allows the user to enjoy high speed technology on the move which provides speed up to 7.2 Mbps. The phone work on a tri band network which will automatically switch between network bands. The Samsung F700 comes with Bluetooth® technology which provides the user with a wirefree connection to all compatible devices. The user can enjoy EDGE technology & USB connectivity on their handset. The 3G technology provides the user with a high speed multitasking handset which allows the user to enjoy added 3G features such as video calling capabilities. The 3G Smartphone comes with a Flash user interface & a document viewer which allows the user to view documents in popular file formats. The user can use their phone offline which allows the user to access features such as music, photos & videos whilst in restricted areas & the offline mode will disable the phone call features.
The phone comes with a high quality camera feature which can be used for capturing photos & video with ease. The camera is discretely built into the handset & comes with easy to use camera controls & settings. The camera is a 5 megapixel digital camera & comes complete with auto focus. The user can change the camera mode to take still photos or to record moving video footage. The user can change the camera setting to gain the desired shot with the required finish to their photo. The Samsung F700 comes with easy to access video feature which include a built in video player which can play video in MPEG4, H263, H264 & Real video format. The user can record, play, stream, store & share their video footage. The phone comes with a second camera which is used when taking part in a video call which is all available due to the built in 3G technology. The user can have a face to face video call with any 3G compatible video calling compatible contact. The built in music player provides the user with non stop entertainment on the move. The user can hear their favourite music in clear stereo sound in either MP3, AAC+ or eAAC+ music format. The user can enjoy using an easy to use drag & drop method to control & create their music play list. The user can control the volume, screen brightness, play list & navigate through menus using the touch screen. The phone supports polyphonic & MP3 ringing tones which the user can change to suit their ringing tone style.
The Samsung F700 Ultra Smart comes with a full HTML browser which provides the user with access to the Internet at any time of the day or night. The user can use the QWERTY keyboard when surfing the Internet which provides an easy input method. The super 7.2 Mbps HSDPA speed allows the user to enjoy a fast mobile email service & the user can catch up with their email on the move. The F700 comes with an instant messaging service which allows the user to have an online chat with others who are online at the same time as the user. The messaging services on the Samsung F700 include multimedia messaging, enhanced messaging & text messaging. The multimedia messaging service better known as MMS allows the user to send & receive messages complete with text & sound with either a photo or a video recording. The Samsung Ultra Smart F700 brings together high quality technology, beautiful design with a fun filled entertainment phone.
he LG KU990 Viewty is a touchscreen 3G mobile phone which comes with a high quality camera & imaging features. The Viewty is a member of the LG family & pays significant resemblance to the popular LG Prada which is also a fashion conscious touchscreen mobile phone. The Viewty is a solid design with no fancy opening systems which weighs 112 gram & the overall measurements of the handset make it easy for the user to use & carry whether the handset is in the users pocket when carrying or in the users hand when in use. The height of the Viewty is 103.5mm by 54.4mm wide by 14.8mm deep which is a good size for a 3G touchscreen phone. The handset comes with a large 3 Inch TFT LCD touchscreen which has a 240 x 400 pixel screen resolution & can display up to two hundred & sixty two colours. The touchscreen comes with touch feedback which allows the user to actually feel the response from the touchscreen with a subtle buzz on their fingertips. The user can either use their finger to control their touchscreen or the LG KU990 Viewty comes with a stylus if the user prefers to use it. The user can view & use the keypad which is displayed clearly on the beautiful touchscreen.
The Viewty is an imaging focused 3G phone comes with a 5.1 megapixel digital camera feature. The user will be amazed at the imaging qualities as the camera comes with a Schneider kreuznach lens, auto focus, image stabiliser & a xenon flash. The LG KU990 Viewty comes with dedicated camera buttons which are situated on the side of the handset which also allows the user to select the camera or video settings. The phone comes with video capabilities which allow the user to record video at 120 frames per second, edit video & playback video footage. The Viewty has a voice recorder which allows the user to record voice clips which can be added to multimedia messages. The phone has a built in music player which allows the user to enjoy music playback on their phone whenever they feel the need for sound. It has a FM radio complete with RDS which allows the user to view information whilst listening to their preferred radio station.
The Viewty comes with easy to access messaging services which allows the user to stay in contact with friends, family & business contacts without even making a call. The messaging services allow the user to create, send & receive a variety of messages including a text SMS message, multimedia MMS message or an email. It supports predictive text input which will predict a word which the user is starting to type which makes text input easy for the user. The user can stay in contact with others by taking part in a 3G video call which allows the user to talk to other as well as seeing them face to face. The user can enjoy a 3G video call with any of their contacts with compatible video calling capabilities. The Viewty comes with a second camera which is used for the video calling purposes & the user can view their contacts on the large colour touchscreen. The user can store all their contact numbers in the phones phone book facility & the user can add photos or images to their contacts which will be displayed when the contact calls the user. The Viewty comes with a calendar feature which is displayed on the full screen of the touchscreen for the user to view clearly.
It works on a tri band network which covers GSM 900, 1800 & 1900 which provides the user of the Viewty with coverage in Europe & the majority of the US, this is dependent on the network provider. The phone comes with 100 Mbytes of internal memory onboard & the phone comes with a MicroSD™ memory card option which allows the user to extend their memory capabilities up to 2 Gbytes. The LG KU990 Viewty comes with the latest high speed technology including 3G technology, HSDPA which is high speed download packet access, Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, EDGE technology & USB connection. The user can connect their phone to other compatible devices using either a Bluetooth® wireless connection or a USB cable connection. It comes with a TV output connection which allows the user to connect the Viewty to a TV to view their video creations. The phone comes with high speed Internet access with the help of the 3G HSDPA technology. The user can access a XHTML browser & enjoy a broadband speed connection on their mobile phone.
Key Features
5.1 Megapixel Camera with Xenon Flash & Auto Focus
Video Record
3 Inch TFT LCD 262k Touch Screen (240 x 400 Pixels)
FM Radio RDS
100 Mbytes Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Support
3G HSDPA Technology
Britney Spears' sister Jamie Lynn is pregnant at the age of just 16.
Jamie Lynn has revealed she is "shocked" to be expecting her first child with boyfriend Casey Aldridge.
She said: "It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected. I was in complete and total shock and so was he."
The 'Zoey 101' star, who is 12 weeks pregnant, kept the news a secret until she got used to the idea. She told her mother Lynne shortly before Thanksgiving.
She told America's OK! magazine: "I took two weeks to myself where I didn't tell anybody.
"Only one of my friends knew because I needed to work out what I would do for myself before I let anyone's opinion affect my decision. Then I told my parents and my friends. I was scared, but I had to do what was right for me.
"My mom was very upset because it wasn't what she expected at all. A week after she had time to cope with it and became very supportive."
Jamie and Casey, who have known each other for years, began dating in high school.
Although Jamie is pleased about the pregnancy, she has advised her young fans to abstain from sex until they are married.
She said: "I definitely don't think it's something you should do, it's better to wait. But I can't be judgmental because it's a position I put myself in."
Lynne - who has had to postpone the release of her parenting book about raising her famous daughters indefinitely - admitted: "I didn't believe it because Jamie Lynn's always been so conscientious. She's never late for her curfew. I was in shock. I mean, this is my 16-year-old baby."
Britney, 26 - who only has supervised visits with her sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and 15-month-old Jayden James after losing custody to ex-husband Kevin Federline - did not know her sister was pregnant.
The 'Gimme More' singer was shopping late last night (18.12.07) when she was told the news by a photographer.
She replied: "My sister's not pregnant!"
A source close to the star said: "This is going to kill her. In the end, she'll be supportive, but this is a big shock.
"Britney doesn't have to listen to anyone now but her sister still does so who knows what people are telling her. She has her career now too."
Christina Aguilera has reportedly scheduled a Caesarean section for January 10.
The 'Dirrty' singer - who is expecting her first child with her music executive husband Jordan Bratman - has allegedly decided to go for the operation to avoid the pain of natural childbirth.
A source close to the star said: "Christina has a C-section scheduled for January 10 but she might need to push the date of the delivery up." Despite having a baby shower earlier this month, Christina - who turned 27 yesterday (18.12.07) - is planning another event for her family and close friends.
The source added: "Christina will be having a second baby shower at the Hotel Bel-Air over Christmas with just her friends."
Christina and Jordan are said to be considering the names Jackson Jake and Max for their first-born.
An insider said: "Although Christina and Jordan want to make up their minds on a name before the birth, part of them wants to wait and see what the baby's personality is like before assigning a name for life."
Britney Spears' pregnant sister Jamie Lynn has split from her boyfriend.
Jamie, who revealed she is 12 weeks pregnant with her first baby with childhood sweetheart Casey Aldridge, is now seemingly single.
Yesterday (19.12.07), Casey, 17, set his mood to 'Blah' on social networking site MySpace and changed his status to "Me and Jamie are over :(". Jamie, who stars as a schoolgirl in hit Nickelodeon TV show 'Zoey 101', revealed she was "scared" to tell her parents she is expecting a baby.
She said: "I took two weeks to myself where I didn't tell anybody. Only one of my friends knew because I needed to work out what I would do for myself before I let anyone's opinion affect my decision.
"Then I told my parents and my friends. I was scared, but I had to do what was right for me. My mom was very upset because it wasn't what she expected at all. A week after, she had time to cope with it and became very supportive."
Jamie's father, also called Jamie, is said to have been left "devastated" by the announcement. A source close to the Spears family told Us Weekly magazine:
"Jamie is devastated by the news. He is extremely depressed and feels Jamie Lynn has ruined her life." It has also been claimed Britney's ex-husband Kevin Federline found out about the pregnancy before the 'Toxic' singer so he could be prepared for the "fallout".
The source added: "Kevin knew before Britney that Jamie Lynn is pregnant. In fact, Britney's mom Lynne, told Kevin about it on Monday, because Lynne wanted Kevin to be prepared when Britney found out."
It’s a technology that many people have heard of, but few may have seen. To me, 3D technology brings back memories of early Jaws films and those 3D Rollercoaster films, where people stood in a cinema watching the
ride, and even sometimes falling over.
I had never actually been to either of those 3D experiences, I just heard people talking about them, and also the funny looking cardboard glasses with a blue and green lense. I had also never watched a U2 concert before, so to do both at once (albeit in a cinema) was an exciting prospect.
I had always heard that a U2 gig was something to behold, one of those shows that everyone should try and see. The thing that intrigued me, was that with more and more people experiencing HD TV and HD films, and virtually having cinemas in their own front room, would a 3D show would be one step up? Would it be the next best thing from actually going to the gig?
The film is taken from their Vertigo Tour last year and most of the footage from two concerts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Right from the start, you could sense it would be a visual feast. The words U23D come out of the screen. I thought I heard faint gasps, but on reflection I think it was just me.
As the camera swoops over the crowd towards the stage, the 3D imaging begins to really show its worth. The hands of the crowd sweep past you and as you get to the stage you are instantly hit by the placing of the band members. Bono genuinely looks in front of the Edge and it feels like there is space between them. (I know that is what it is meant to feel like but I was sceptical before I went). Anyone at the front of shot looks like they are projected out from the screen. I am sure Bono is there, a matter of metres away from me. Instinct says 'reach out’, but I remember where I am.
There are also other moments when Bono reaches towards the camera, his hand reaching out from the cinema screen. In addition he swings a mic stand and it feels like it sweeps out across all of us watching. It is these short moments that illustrate why 3D technology is so impressive. It really brings things to life.
The Irish band fly through their classics, from Pride (In The Name of Love), Sunday Bloody Sunday, to Beautiful Day and Vertigo. You don’t have to be a big fan of U2 to appreciate this film and its technology. I must admit I got goose bumps when they finished to With or Without You, the whole of the Buenos Aires crowd singing. Not only did it look like an amazing concert but the technology took it to another level, in other words, the next best thing to actually being there,..
Opens in the UK February 22nd 2008.
Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z have married in secret, it has been claimed.
The superstar couple are said to be "blissfully happy" after tying the knot in a small private ceremony in Paris, during which they reportedly had personal inscriptions tattooed on their ring fingers.
A source said: "They didn't want all the attention that usually follows them around, they just wanted it to be intimate and romantic. It was lovely and they are both blissfully happy.
"They thought the tattoos would be a lovely personal touch." It had been rumoured that Jay-Z proposed to the Beyoncé, 26, during a luxury holiday in Cannes at the end of May.
The 'Irreplaceable' singer said previously: "I want to get married and I really want a family. In a perfect world I'd have two boys and a girl. You know someone loves you by the way he treats you and respects you. Me and Jay respect each other."
Earlier this month the pair celebrated Jay-Z's 38th birthday by watching an erotic cabaret show at Paris' famous nightclub le Crazy Horse Paris. They began dating after collaborating on the hit single '03 Bonnie and Clyde' in 2002.
Cadillac's latest attempt at grabbing a piece of the European- and Japanese-dominated compact sport-luxury market, the CTS wraps in a smaller package most of the electronic systems found in its larger siblings. The OnStar telematics system is standard, and the Stabilitrak stability-enhancement system, one of the least intrusive in the industry, is part of the $1,325 Sport package. The $3,125 DVD navigation-system package includes real-time traffic data and XM satellite radio and has a simple-to-use interface. Mechanically, the CTS combines GM's new front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Sigma chassis with a choice of 2.8- or 3.6-liter twin-cam V-6 engines with variable valve timing or, in the high-performance CTS-V, a 400-horsepower version of the LS6 V-8 found in the Corvette.
With the exception of the optional systems mentioned previously, CTS technology is more oriented toward driving than gadgets, as highlighted by the usual contemporary engine-management electronics and the ultra-high-strength steel welded into the chassis structure. RDS radio and DSP are available with only the optional Bose audio system. There is no backup camera or any form of cell phone integration. DVD movies can be played in the navigation DVD player, but you must first remove the navigation disc and put the car in neutral (manual) or park (automatic).
Angles and curves
Onlooker reaction to the 2005 Cadillac CTS's angular stealth-fighter exterior styling is of the love-it-or-hate-it variety, but the car definitely gets noticed. Inside, the center console looks somewhat like a PC tower case of the curvy variety designed to fit in at home--but it is functional. The LCD screen for XM radio and the DVD navigation system dominates that interesting piece of styling, and Cadillac thankfully has not overcomplicated the user interface. Audio, navigation, and traffic modes are controlled by two rotary push buttons at the bottom, hard-coded buttons on the left side, and context-sensitive buttons to the right of the screen. Everything is either well marked or very logical, and using the system doesn't require intense study of the owner's manual.
Hard-coded buttons on the left make it easy to call up functions on the LCD, while context-sensitive buttons on the right allow for more flexible controls.
The map display can be viewed in North Up, Heading Up, or Bird's-Eye views. Although you can beam address-book information into the car's contact database from a handheld or a cell phone via infrared, you can't directly feed these addresses into the car's navigation system--a disturbing oversight. Voice-recognition technology allows a voice-activated command interface for most audio and navigation functions. Volume and channel switching can also be controlled from the steering wheel; the rotary volume control is particularly useful.
The front seats, similar to those found in larger Cadillacs, are power adjustable and relatively flat for easy access, with adequate bolstering for performance driving. The front shoulder straps anchor directly to the seats. The rear seats have more room than those of most competitors. A pass-through is standard, with a split-folding feature optional. Unfortunately, although the navigation and audio systems get high marks for design, the same can't be said of the textured plastic used for most interior panels. It looks and feels cheap, not like anything that should be in a Cadillac.
Earning a place in its class
Our test car had the 3.6-liter V-6, an aluminum-alloy twin-cam, 24-valve unit with variable valve timing. Mated to a six-speed Aisin manual transmission, it's rated at 255 horsepower at 6,200rpm, with 252 pound-feet of torque at 3,200rpm. The available automatic is a five-speed, comparable to the automatics in competitive cars. Sound like a recipe for performance? Indeed, but like many modern high-revving engines, this one is merely adequate at low revs. It gets happier as it revs higher, with a strong midrange and high end.
Although you can beam in addresses from your PDA, they are not integrated with the navigation system's route guidance.
The standard-equipment six-speed gearbox is a good match for the engine, although we weren't impressed with the shift linkage. We got 21mpg on average, driving mostly moderately and with a good mix of city and highway miles--competitive with most other cars in this class. Like the engine, the suspension gets happier as it gets pushed harder. Even with the firmer springs and shocks of the Sport package, ride comfort is very good in normal operation. Ride it harder in the corners, and the 2005 Cadillac CTS digs in, with enthusiasm. It's very comparable to the best from the German and Japanese competition.
Like most modern luxury cars, the Cadillac CTS has standard dual-stage front, front-side, and side-curtain airbags. Cadillac includes OnStar with a free one-year subscription to the Safe and Sound feature package. Xenon High Intensity Discharge headlights are available. The Stabilitrak 2.0 stability-enhancement system comes as part of the Sport package. With relatively transparent operation, it controls understeer or oversteer by gentle application of one or more individual brakes and gently decreases engine power if it deems that is necessary. It can be disengaged for high-performance driving. Strong brakes are a necessary match for a strong engine, and the Cadillac CTS scores high with four-wheel vented discs with standard antilock and traction control. The CTS is covered by a four-year/50,000-mile warranty.
An artist's cross-section of Lake Vostok, the largest known subglacial lake in Antarctica. Liquid water is thought to take thousands of years to pass through the lake, which is the size of North America's Lake Ontario. (Nicolle Rager-Fuller / National Science Foundation)
Sometime within the next few months, a Russian device may dip into a place where no man has been before. It won't be on another planet, or even the dark side of the moon. It will be on this planet, in one of Earth's most austere regions, in a place that has not been disturbed in millions of years.
Story
A Russian drilling rig has penetrated through more than two miles of Antarctic ice and is within about 70 meters of a huge subglacial lake that may harbor microbial colonies that are unlike anything ever seen on Earth. It's an exciting time for some scientists, and a matter of concern to others.
Lake Vostok is a huge body of fresh water, about the size of Lake Ontario, that is part of a recently discovered network of at least 150 lakes beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheets. The immense pressure of the ice keeps the water in a liquid form. The lakes are fed by subglacial rivers that pump water throughout an astonishing aquatic system, at least a couple of miles below the top of the ice field.
The rivers and lakes are now thought to play a key role in regulating the flow of Antarctica's ice sheets toward the ocean.
"The water under the ice sheets is what lubricates the glaciers and controls their movement toward the ocean," said oceanographer Mahlon "Chuck" Kennicutt II of Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station. in
Kennicutt is involved in several international programs to explore Antarctica, which, for more than 50 years, has been a model of international cooperation.
Photos
A team of scientists reported earlier this year that ice above some of the subglacial lakes was moving at a significant pace, at least a couple of meters a day.
"It's really ripping along," Helen Fricker, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, said at the time.
The problem is that no one knows enough about those giant subsurface aquifers — which seem to be key players in the movement of the ice — to really evaluate their potential impact on Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise, due to global warming.
3 Edition:
Legendary Edition: $129.99
Individually numbered and available while supplies last, the Legendary Edition includes a copy of Halo 3 in a collectible Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI helmet case, as well as an exclusive collection of storyboard art and the same bonus disc included with the Limited Edition. You'll also get the Legendary Edition disc, including remastered, high-res versions of the Halo and Halo 2 cinematics; an expanded digital "Bestiarum" guide to the creatures and cultures of Halo 3; The Cortana Chronicles; and exclusive machinima episodes.
Standard Edition: $59.99This is the complete third installment of the legendary epic.
Limited Edition: $69.99
The Limited Edition ships in a sleek metal collector's case. In addition to the game, the Limited Edition includes the "Bestiarum," a hardcover guide to the game's species, civilizations, and cultures. The bonus disc includes Bungie's high-definition home theater calibration tool; "Art Attack" with concept, production art, an exclusive Dashboard theme, and gamer pics; a Halo-themed minigame; and a variety of short films on a wide range of subjects.
Features
A HERO MUST RISE. BELIEVE.
The epic saga continues with Halo® 3, the third chapter in the highly successful and critically acclaimed Halo franchise. Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood, and the entire human race to a dramatic, pulse-pounding climax.
Halo 3 represents the third chapter in the Halo trilogy—an international award-winning action series that grew into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.5 million units worldwide, logging more than 650 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE®, and spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel, an upcoming film adaptation, and more.
- Epic story: The thrilling conclusion to the epic Halo trilogy.
- Next-gen advantage: Taking full advantage of the power of Xbox 360™, Halo 3 expands on everything that has made the Halo franchise great, adding a wealth of technical and gameplay advancements.
- Evolution of design: Next-generation high-definition visuals, enhanced A.I., an advanced real-time lighting engine, and new weapons, characters, and challenges are just a few examples of Halo 3's evolution of design and technology.
- Unparalleled experience: Ultimately, these improvements provide gamers with an unparalleled experience and, in the end, tell an even more compelling and engrossing story.
- Online multiplayer: The most complete online multiplayer experience ever conceived.
- Only on Xbox 360.
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When music is played on the iPhone, album art is shown on most of the screen, with play controls beneath.The layout of the music library differs from previous iPods, with the sections divided more clearly alphabetically, and with a larger font. Similar to previous iPods, the iPhone can sort its media library by songs, artists, albums, videos, playlists, genres, composers, podcasts, audiobooks, and compilations. Cover Flow, like that on iTunes, shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen.Like the fifth generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play video, allowing users to watch TV shows and films. Unlike other image-related content, video on the iPhone plays only in the landscape orientation, when the phone is turned sideways. Double tapping switches between wide-screen and fullscreen video playback.The iPhone allows users to purchase and download songs from the iTunes Store directly to their iPhone over Wi-Fi, but not over the cellular data network.Web connectivity Wikipedia on the iPhone's Safari web browser.The iPhone is able to access the World Wide Web via a modified version of the Safari web browser when connected to a Wi-Fi or an EDGE network. It is not able to utilize AT&T's 3G or AT&T's HSDPA network. Steve Jobs has stated 3G would need to become more widespread and much more energy efficient before it's included in the iPhone. By default, the iPhone will ask to join newly discovered Wi-Fi networks and prompt for the password when required, while also supporting manually joining closed Wi-Fi networks. When Wi-Fi is active, it will automatically switch from the EDGE network to any nearby previously approved Wi-Fi network. Before the launch, some reviewers found the EDGE network "excruciatingly slow," with the iPhone taking as long as 100 seconds to download the Yahoo! home page for the first time Immediately before the launch the observed speed of the network increased to almost 200 kbit/s. This is probably due to the new "Fine EDGE" upgrades AT&T has been making to their network prior to the launch. The EDGE network benefits iPhone users by providing greater availability than 3G, as 3G continues its expansion to most major cities in the United States. Most countries outside the United States have very little EDGE infrastructure in place. For example, the United Kingdom's EDGE infrastructure amounts to less than 30 percent.[citation needed] As a result, many users outside major cities will have to browse the Internet on GPRS, a much slower protocol.The web browser displays full web pages as opposed to simplified pages as on most non-smartphones. The iPhone does not support Flash or Java technology. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and supports automatic zooming by pinching together or spreading apart fingertips on the screen, or by double-tapping text or images. Apple developed an iPhone application for accessing Google's maps service in map or satellite form, a list of search results, or directions between two locations, while providing optional real-time traffic information. During the product's announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap. Though Flash isn't supported in Safari on the iPhone, Apple also developed a separate application to view YouTube videos on the iPhone.E-mailThe iPhone also features an e-mail program that supports HTML e-mail, which enables the user to embed photos in an e-mail message. PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel attachments to mail messages can be viewed on the phone.[36] Yahoo! is currently the only e-mail provider offering a free Push-IMAP e-mail service similar to that on a BlackBerry for the iPhone;[citation needed] IMAP and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange[37] and Kerio MailServer.[38] There is currently no search support.[citation needed] The iPhone will sync e-mail account settings over from Apple's own Mail application, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Entourage, or manually configured using the device's Settings tool. With the correct settings, the e-mail program can check many IMAP or POP3-enabled web based accounts such as Gmail, .Mac mail, and AOL.
A picture of an iPhone taking a picture of the image of an iPhone on a monitor.The iPhone features a built in 2.0 megapixel camera, without a flash, located on the back for still digital photos, but does not support video recording. It also includes software that allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos. The user zooms in and out of photos by "unpinching" and "pinching" them through the multi-touch interface. The software interacts with iPhoto on the Mac and Photoshop in Windows.The built-in Bluetooth 2.x+EDR supports wireless earpieces (which requires the HSP profile), but notably does not support stereo audio (requires A2DP), laptop tethering (requires DUN and SPP), or the OBEX file transfer protocol (requires FTP, GOEP, and OPP).Text messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to iChat) under each recipient's name. The iPhone does not support message forwarding, drafts, delivery reports, instant messaging, MMS, multi-recipient SMS, or copy/cut/paste capability. InterfaceThe display responds to three sensors: a proximity sensor that shuts off the display and touchscreen when the iPhone is brought near the face to save battery power and to prevent spurious inputs from the user's face and ears, an ambient light sensor that adjusts the display brightness which in turn saves battery power, and a 3-axis accelerometer, which senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly. Photo browsing, web browsing, and music playing support both upright and left or right widescreen orientations, while videos play in only one widescreen orientation.A single "home" hardware button below the display brings up the main menu. Subselections are made via the touchscreen. The iPhone utilizes a full-paged display, with context-specific submenus at the top and/or bottom of each page, sometimes depending on screen orientation. Detail pages display the equivalent of a "Back" button to go up one menu.The iPhone has three physical switches on its sides: wake/sleep, volume up/down, and ringer on/off. All other multimedia and phone operations are done via the touch screen.The iPhone interface enables the user to move the content itself up or down by a touch-drag motion of the finger, much as one would freely slide or flick a playing card across a table with a finger. Similarly, scrolling through a long list in a menu works as if the list is pasted on the outer surface of a wheel: the wheel can be "spun" by sliding a finger over the display from bottom to top (or vice versa). In either case, the object continues to move based on the flicking motion of the finger, slowly decelerating as if affected by friction. In this way, the interface simulates the physics of 3D objects, giving it a real world feel.The photo album and web page magnifications are examples of multi-touch sensing. It is possible to zoom in and out of web pages and photos by placing two fingers (e.g. thumb and forefinger) on the screen and spreading them farther apart or closer together, as if stretching or squeezing the image. As can be expected from multi-touch sensing, the two fingers don't have to be from the same hand.Text inputFor text input, the device implements a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen. It has automatic spell checking and correction, predictive word capabilities, and a dynamic dictionary that learns new words. The predictive word capabilities have been integrated with the dynamic virtual keyboard so that users will not have to be extremely accurate when typing—i.e. touching the edges of the desired letter or nearby letters on the keyboard will be predictively corrected when possible. The keys are somewhat larger and spaced further apart when in landscape mode, currently only available using the Safari. Not focusing more on texting has been considered a chief weakness of the iPhone, while at the same time the virtual keyboard is a bold step and a worthwhile risk.David Pogue of The New York Times and Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal both tested the iPhone for two weeks and found learning to use it initially difficult, although eventually usable. Pogue stated use was "frustrating" at first, but "once you stop stressing about each individual letter and just plow ahead, speed and accuracy pick up considerably." After five days of use, Mossberg "was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years," and considered the keyboard a "nonissue." Both found that the typo-correcting feature of the iPhone was the key to using the virtual keyboard successfully.
HardwareRear viewAccording to The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone is manufactured on contract in the Shenzhen factory of the Taiwanese company Hon Hai Touch screen The 3.5 in liquid crystal display (320×480 px at 160 ppi) HVGA touch screen topped with optical-quality, scratch-resistant glass[44] is specifically created for use with a finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing. Because the screen is a capacitive touch screen, no stylus is needed, nor can one be used. Bare skin is a requirement; users wearing gloves would have to remove them to use the touchpad, unless they are wearing electrically conductive gloves. The user interface also features other visual effects, such as horizontally sliding sub-selections and co-selections from right and left, vertically sliding system menus from the bottom (e.g. favorites, keyboard), and menus and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on their back sides.Audio The iPhone's headphones are similar to those of current iPods, but also incorporate a microphone. Calls can be answered and ended by squeezing a bud, toggling the microphone. The 3.5 mm TRS connector for the headphones is located on the top left corner (as seen from front upright). Wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth technology to communicate with the iPhone are sold separately. The headphone socket on the iPhone is recessed into the casing, making it incompatible with some headphones.[citation needed]The loudspeaker is used both for handsfree operations and media playback, but does not support voice recording.With the iPhone firmware update 1.1.1, released in late September 2007, video can be output from the headset jack using a three-way jack plug. Component video at up to 576i and stereo audio can also be output from the dock connector using the Apple Component AV Cable. Battery The iPhone features a built-in rechargeable battery that is not intended to be user-replaceable, similar to existing iPods. If the battery prematurely reaches the end of its life time, the phone can be returned to Apple and replaced for free while still in warranty, one year at purchase and extended to two years with AppleCare. The cost of having Apple provide a new battery and replace it when the iPhone is out of warranty is US$79 and US$6.95 for shipping. The battery is stated to be capable of providing up to seven hours of video, six hours of web browsing, or eight hours of talk time (depending on configuration). The battery life for music playing is stated to be 24 hours. The battery also allows for up to 250 hours of standby time. Apple's site says that the battery life "is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles," which turns out to be the same as for the iPod batteries. When the battery reaches only 80% capacity, it would be providing approximately 5.6 hours of video, 4.8 hours of web browsing, 6.4 hours of talk time, or 19.2 hours of music playing, depending on configuration.The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocate group, has sent a complaint to Apple and AT&T over the fee that consumers have to pay to get the battery replaced. Though the battery replacement service and its pricing was not made known to buyers until the day the product was launched, a similar service had been well established for the iPods by Apple and various third party service providers.
The iPhone's SIM card slot having been ejected.SIM card The SIM card is located in a slot at the top of the device, and the device is activated through iTunes. The iPhone does not contain a memory card slot.The iPhone, like many other phones on contract, are locked to their service provider, such as AT&T, Orange or T-Mobile. Vodafone, for example, complained to the German courts that T-Mobile was being uncompetitive by locking the iPhone to the T-Mobile network. T-Mobile argued that it was the only service provider with EDGE in Germany, but the courts will still force T-Mobile to sell iPhones unlocked and available without a contract. SoftwareAn optimized version of the OS X operating system (without unnecessary components) runs on the iPhone, although differences between the operating system running on Macs and the iPhone have not been officially explained in detail. The iPhone's version of OS X includes the software component "Core Animation" from Mac OS X v10.5 which is responsible for the smooth animations used in its user interface. The operating system takes up considerably less than half a GB of the device's total 8 GB storage. It will be capable of supporting bundled and future applications from Apple.The iPhone is managed with iTunes version 7.3 or later, which is compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later, and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista. The iPhone's CPU is an ARM-based processor instead of the x86 and PowerPC processors used in Apple's computers. This means applications can not simply be copied from Mac OS X and have to be written and compiled specifically for the iPhone. Additionally, the Safari web browser supports web applications written with AJAX, which, by design, are platform agnostic applications.ApplicationsThere are several applications located on the "Home" screen: Text (SMS messaging), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps), Weather, Clock, Calculator, Notes, Settings, and iTunes. Four other applications delineate the iPhone's main purposes: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod. The YouTube application streams videos over Wi-Fi and/or EDGE after encoding them using QuickTime's H.264 codec, to which YouTube has converted about 10,000 videos. They are expected to convert the entire catalog by the third quarter of 2007. As a result, the YouTube application on iPhone can currently only view a certain selection of videos from the site. Also, because YouTube displays videos using Flash, the iPhone can only view videos through the YouTube application as opposed to accessing the YouTube website using Safari.At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007 Apple announced that the iPhone will support third-party "applications" via the Safari web browser that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface. The applications must be created in Ajax or JavaScript to maintain device security. The iPhone cannot officially install full programs from anyone but Apple, although Steve Jobs has hinted that future third-party applications are in development. Dozens of homebrew applications are now available[64], although they are completely unsupported by Apple. Such applications could be broken by any software update, but Apple will not design software updates specifically to break native applications other than applications that perform SIM unlocking. On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple's "Hot News" weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. Due to security concerns and Jobs's praise of Nokia's digital signature system, it is suggested that Apple will adopt a similar method. The SDK will also allow application development for the iPod touch. Software updatesApple provides updates to the iPhone's operating system through iTunes, in a similar fashion to the way that iPods are updated, and touts this as an advantage compared to other cell phones. Security patches as well as new and improved features, such as a mobile chat client, Flash support, and voice recording, may be released in this fashion. The first iPhone software update, 1.0.1, was released on July 31, 2007[69] to patch an exploit, discovered on July 23, 2007. It allowed hackers to take complete control of the iPhone via Wi-Fi connection or by luring a person to a website with that included malicious code. Once the hacker had control of the iPhone they could download the entire content of the iPhone, make phone calls, or turn the phone into a covert listening device. The first full update, 1.1.1, was released on September 27, 2007. In addition to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, this update also adds home button shortcuts and other features previously released in the iPod touch. The update significantly changed the iPhone's software and improved stability of its applications. Unsurprisingly, such significant changes also made it incompatible with previous unsupported hacks for modifying the system software or installing third party applications.The updates that have been released are:1.0.1 Safari security update 1.0.2 Fixed Bugs 1.1.1 iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store Louder speakerphone and receiver volume Home button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls Spacebar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape modes Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be reordered Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar Support for TV out Preferences to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally New Passcode lock time intervals Adjustable alert volume 1.1.2 Battery charge level shown in iTunes International language & keyboard support Patched the TIFF exploit Adds custom ringtone field Fixed Bugs SpecificationsSize comparison between a first generation iPod nano, the iPhone, and a fourth generation iPod, from top to bottom.The specifications as listed on Apple's website are: Screen size: 8.9 cm (3.5 in) Screen resolution: 320×480 pixels at 160 ppi Input method: Multi-touch screen interface (the "Home" button is the iPhone's only physical front panel button) Operating System: OS X Storage: 8 GB flash memory (originally: 4 or 8 GB choice) Quad band GSM (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900) Wi-Fi (802.11g), EDGE and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR 2 megapixel camera Built-in rechargeable, non-removable battery with up to 8 hours of talk, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback, and up to 24 hours of audio playback, lasting over 250 hours on standby. Size: 115×61×11.6 mm (4.5×2.4×0.46 in) Weight: 135 g (4.8 oz) Digital SAR of 0.974 W/kg[73][74] An analysis of the iPhone's firmware has revealed that the main Samsung chip (designated S5L8900) contains an ARM 1176 processor, together with a PowerVR MBX 3D graphics co-processor. Intellectual propertyApple has filed more than 300 patents related to the technology behind the iPhone. LG Electronics claimed the iPhone's design was copied from the LG Prada. Woo-Young Kwak, head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, said at a press conference, “We consider that Apple copied Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006.” On September 3, 1993, Infogear filed for the U.S. trademark "I PHONE" and on March 20, 1996 applied for the trademark "IPhone "I Phone" was registered in March 1998,[79] and "IPhone" was registered in 1999.[80] Since then, the I PHONE mark has been abandoned. Infogear's trademarks cover "communications terminals comprising computer hardware and software providing integrated telephone, data communications and personal computer functions" (1993 filing), and "computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks" (1996 filing). Infogear released a telephone with an integrated web browser under the name iPhone in 1998. In 2000, Infogear won an infringement claim against the owners of the iphones.com domain name. In June 2000, Cisco Systems acquired Infogear, including the iPhone trademark. On December 18, 2006 they released a range of re-branded Voice over IP (VoIP) sets under the name iPhone. In October 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and the European Union. A Canadian application followed in October 2004 and a New Zealand application in September 2006. As of October 2006 only the Singapore and Australian applications had been granted. In September 2006, a company called Ocean Telecom Services applied for an "iPhone" trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong, following a filing in Trinidad and Tobago. As the Ocean Telecom trademark applications use exactly the same wording as Apple's New Zealand application, it is assumed that Ocean Telecom is applying on behalf of Apple. The Canadian application was opposed in August 2005 by a Canadian company called Comwave who themselves applied for the trademark three months later. Comwave have been selling VoIP devices called iPhone since 2004. Shortly after Steve Jobs' January 9, 2007 announcement that Apple would be selling a product called iPhone in June 2007, Cisco issued a statement that it had been negotiating trademark licensing with Apple and expected Apple to agree to the final documents that had been submitted the night before. On January 10, 2007 Cisco announced it had filed a lawsuit against Apple over the infringement of the trademark iPhone, seeking an injunction in federal court to prohibit Apple from using the name. More recently, Cisco claimed that the trademark lawsuit was a "minor skirmish" that was not about money, but about interoperability. On February 2, 2007, Apple and Cisco announced that they had agreed to temporarily suspend litigation while they hold settlement talks, and subsequently announced on February 20, 2007 that they had reached an agreement. Both companies will be allowed to use the "iPhone" name in exchange for "exploring interoperability" between their security, consumer, and business communications products. The iPhone's touch interface has been compared by some media to the HTC Touch, which also features a touchscreen designed for fingers, although it can also be used with a stylus and lacks multi-touch. Another product that has been compared to the iPhone is the MyOrigo MyDevice, which was released in 2003, and like the iPhone, featured a touchscreen and accelerometer.
