The App Store has only been online for five quarters, yet it continues to impress with a staggering number of offerings and purchases. Apple has announced there are now 85,000 iPhone and iPod Touch applications available via iTunes.

50 million people own a compatible Apple device and 125,000 software developers are participating in the Apple iPhone Developer Program. 1.5 billion individual downloads were clocked on the App Store within the first year of its operation.

There are several things included in the iPhone 3.0 MMS release that users may not be aware of until they start flexing the application. The key here is that you can send much more than photos. Information from your Contacts can be sent via MMS by touching the Share Contact button when viewing entry details.

Similarly, touching the share button in Voice Memos will give the option to send via MMS or email. The iPhone 3GS will send video using MMS, although it will severely degrade the size and quality. This helps to insure the video will play on smaller and older phones.

Some iPhone applications have preferences to set an accelerometer lock, which keeps the orientation of the app in one direction no matter which way the iPhone turns. Unfortunately, most commonly used apps do not have this feature.

Rotation can be switched off when viewing photos on the iPhone Camera Roll or Photo Library. When viewing a photo, hold down with one finger on the photo as if you're trying to copy the image.

You are getting the notorious exclamation point when you try to send an MMS on your iPhone 3G or 3GS. There are a few steps you can try to fix the problem before you contact Apple or AT&T and they give you the same advice.

First check your AT&T Wireless account and make sure you have an active iPhone text plan. You can check this online and you should see a 200, 1500 or unlimited messaging plan on your account.

The answer is yes. International users already know this fact. In the US, you can update the AT&T carrier file to version 5.5 without updating your iPhone to firmware 3.1.

There are reasons not to update to iPhone OS 3.1. Many users are complaining about decreased battery life and other problems. Here's how to get MMS on your 3G or 3GS without updating the firmware.

How about making iPhone calls on your own personal cell tower? AT&T has test launched its femtocell solution for individual users, dubbed the MicroCell. This device is compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

MicroCell data speeds will be slower than the 7.2 Mbps the iPhone 3GS is capable of delivering, however they will achieve 3.2 Mbps, matching standard 3G speeds. The device allows users to make calls and send text messages using a 5,000 square foot local 3G network.

Only two weeks after releasing iTunes 9, Apple has released an update with numerous bug fixes and improvements. One notable change is that the green zoom button brings up the mini-player, just like it did before iTunes 9 took that away.

Another issue resolved by iTunes 9.0.1 is the ordering of podcasts. Some users were complaining that these files were not sorted properly in version 9.

This Friday AT&T is expected to text its iPhone customers in groups every hour, notifying them that MMS is finally ready for action on their iPhone. Some reports have indicated this process could start as early as 10AM Eastern Time.

MMS will be activated by a carrier settings update from iTunes. The service will make it possible to send photos and videos along with text to other mobile devices without using email. MMS will not be supported on the original (2G) iPhone.

One of the most common problems reported with the iPhone 3.1 firmware update is significantly reduced battery life. Apple has noticed the issue, and some AppleCare employees have sent requests for more information from affected users.

Until now, Apple has recommended that 3.1 problems can be solved either with a hard reboot or a complete restore using iTunes. The restore method results in a reset iPhone and the owner has to reconfigure settings from scratch.

Looking to hold up your iPhone while you're looking at videos or photos, but you don't want to carry around a bulky stand? GoGoStand is a patent-pending device that's portable and useful.

The entire stand flattens into the shape of a credit card so you can slip it right into your wallet. When you're ready to stand up your iPhone or other smartphone just fold it up.