iPhone update

The iPhone 3G is released tomorrow morning, everything I’ve read saying at 8am at both Apple Stores and AT&T wireless stores, but iTunes 7.7 debuted this morning during the Apple MobileMe update.  TUAW and ars have been following the launch all week, and the rumor was iTunes 7.7 late last night (turned into this morning after the launch of MobileMe was pushed back).  7.7 supports the App store and the iPhone/iPod Touch remote application specifically: it’s necessary for the 3G and 2.0 firmware, too, I believe.  Rumors are flying about when 2.0 will be available, ars seems to think it’ll be later today (“very soon”). There’s been an unofficial copy of the 2.0 firmware around for a little while as an obscure file from Apple’s website, and some have tried it to varying-mostly high-levels of success.  Be careful, though, it’s unsanctioned as of yet.  It is as stated unofficial, meaning that it could cause some problems yet.  It will also require a backup and wipe of your iPhizznone or iPod Touch.

While we (or at least Kerby, I, and the rest of the Apple community) wait on pins and needles for the updated firmware, we can occupy our time by following Ars and TUAW or by surfing the newly launched App Store!

That’s right, the App Store is live enough that you can use it to download brand-new free and priced apps, such as AIM, Remote, Pandora, and more.

I’ve already downloaded AIM, Box Office (a theatre times app), Exposure (a flickr app), the Facebook app, Google’s mobile app, a flashlight app (which I assume just displays a pure white screen at high brightness), Loopt and Whrrl, both social networking apps designed to help you find nearby friends and places to go at the same time (I’ll try both, I’m not sure which will work better).  Also in my Applications library are NetNewsWire, the NY Times app, Pandora Radio, the Apple Remote app (for controlling iTunes from your iP[hone, od]), a to do list app to try, and the WeatherBug app, as it’s more advanced than the current Yahoo widget that my iPod came with.

You can access the app store in several ways, originally it was just to search for a preexisting app, or click here for a link to one of those apps (thanks, Ars Technica), and then link back to the app store itself.  You can also download iTunes 7.7 and open the preferences (cmd-,), then check the “show applications” box.  Now in your iTunes sidebar there’ll be an applications section.  You can click “Get More Applications” at the bottom.  There’s no official link to the App Store within the iTunes online store yet though.

There’s the iPod/iPhone/iPhone 3G/iTunes 7.7/Firmware 2.0 update (culling all the rumors and info together here, mostly for fun.  Thanks to Ars and TUAW for getting all the good stories)

Happy app hunting, and here’s hoping 2.0 is coming very soon.  I’m eager to get these apps loaded!

You can find me tomorrow morning at the iPhone 3G launch at the local Indiana Apple store at Keystone Mall in Indianapolis, but I’m just along for the ride.  Verizon, don’t'cha know.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars

Nothing is Real and Josh Williams are in no way associated with Ars, besides reading the blog and knowing a guy who knows the person who writes most of the Infinite Loop articles.

All Is Not Lost

Quickly before I go read here, I wanted to detail a couple of things both to look forward to and that were worth living out this week for.  First, I’m pleased to hear that Katie will be working with me at my temporary apartment cleaning job later on this month.  At first I was afraid that I’d be left alone (or relatively alone) but it’ll be nice to have someone I know around, and even better to be able to connect with Katie briefly before we each head our separate ways to college.  For those that don’t know, Katie is [was] one of the two editors-in-chief for the Jeff Nautilus.  Second, I’m getting pumped about Firmware 2.0, iTunes 7.7, and the iPhone 3G.  iTunes 7.7 was released this morning after much speculation most of yesterday afternoon and evening, a lot from macrumors and TUAW.  The app store is slated to be launched Friday morning along with 2.0, and I’ve been spending a lot of my copious spare time this week following the updates.  MobileMe is also coming online here, but I can’t afford an account there, so I’m not as worried about it.  Ed, TLove and maybe even Kyle are going to head down to the Apple Store at Keystone in Indy so Ed and Tyler can pick up their new phones and so I can come along for the ride-I’ve never been to an Apple product launch, so I’m very excited.  Fourth I’m not going to mention because it might ruin something, but look for an update later today or tomorrow on that.  Fifth, I’ve been vexelling, which is an exciting form of artwork performed in Photoshop or Illustrator, or an equivalent program that allows for shape and color manipulation.  I’m learning more this time around, and last night marks the first time I’ve stopped partway through a piece with intention of finishing it later.  I used to either go all the way through or just delete it at the end of the night.  However, with my Mac, I can just cntrl-cmd-H it and then put it to sleep.  I’ve been putting the computer to sleep instead of shutting it off recently for that very reason, and it works great.  Instant functionality without power loss.  Also this week iis a set of new blog posts, and a realization from reading previous posts that as lost as I am now, it’s not as though I’ve never been lost before.  I take some comfort in that thought.  I’ve also had the opportunity to go and fence with Pavel and Steve, adding another workout into the mix, which helps me physically, helps my fencing game, and also helps my mental game as well-being able to fence with people who are better fencers than I am and who exhibit a similar amount of effort and desire to fence well and at a higher level than currently is satisfying.  I enjoy the “foilist’s practice”  I also fenced my first epee bout in a long while, which was surprising-I can’t figure out how they hit anything in that weapon.  (kidding, I can, it’s just more difficult sometimes, there’s a lot of moving around doing nothing).  I’ve-according to Brandyberry-been able to move more amorphously in and out of distance, which is extremely beneficial in fencing, and one of the last few fencing concepts that Will taught me before he moved away.

Well, I need to go do that reading thing.  I’ll be back, because I certainly have more stories and more blogs to write.