News

A patent application filed by Apple in August 2008 shows some novel ways to interact with the iPhone. Swiping over the camera lens and a series of taps on the back of the iPhone are described as a way to control voicemail playback while the iPhone is against the head.

Holding the iPhone in the hand would make the camera lens react differently, controlling calling options or scrolling through contacts lists or web pages. Taps would be detected through an accelerometer inside the device.

Incredibly, what began as a project in the shadow of Apple's computer business is forecast to account for 45-50% of total company revenues in 2011. Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi believes Apple is on track to hit these targets, as the iPhone made up 30% of its revenues in 2009.

20.7 million iPhones were sold in 2009. Apple is forecast to move up to 50 million units in 2011. Sacconaghi, agreeing with other industry figures, has also forecast iPad sales in 2010 at 2.2 million units.

Square Enix has just released two classic games on the iPhone App Store. Final Fantasy was first introduced in 1987 and took the gaming world by storm. Those in North America might remember first playing Final Fantasy on a Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990.

The graphics and interface have been updated in the iPhone version and its sequel, Final Fantasy II. Both games include bonus dungeons not found in the originals and are available for $8.99 each.

The FeedLine 1.3 update is the first iPhone application to hit the App Store that supports Google Buzz public feeds. The app is primarily an RSS reader and goes for $0.99.

FeedLine does not require a Google Reader account, and supports RSS, Atom, and Google Buzz formats. Real-time news alerts can also be configured for specific terms and delivered using FeedLine.

Google Buzz was recently announced and allows Google users to share photos, videos, and conversations in a social networking application similar to Twitter or Facebook.

A recent article on The iPad Guide indicates that although it took some time before Apple allowed retailers outside of themselves and AT&T to sell the iPhone, it appears Apple is opting to increase the number of options available to consumers looking to purchase the soon-to-be-released Apple iPad. In a speech given at Goldman Sach's annual technology conference in San Francisco, Apple COO TIm Cook revealed that Apple would be selling the iPad via partners with "great assisted sales", such as Best Buy.