IPhone in Manila

Blogger's note :  Finally , the long wait is over for the launch of the Apple Iphone in Manila. Some people will have this as their Christmas gifts for themselves.  Well.. Manila.. Enjoy the Iphone !!


Business News    
     
Thousands flock to launch of iPhone in Manila
By Channel NewsAsia's Philippines Correspondent Christine Ong | Posted: 23 August 2008 0031 hrs
                     

MANILA: Thousands of Filipinos flocked to the launch of the revolutionary second-generation 3G iPhone at Manila's central business district in Makati on Friday.

Mon Eugenio, an Apple fan, said: "I have always wanted to have an iPhone because I am a gadget guy and I like new technology. This represents the best in new technology. I have a MacBook, an iPod, and now I have an iPhone 3G."

Apple fanatic Nina Sarmiento had waited in line since 3pm on Thursday to get her reserved unit.

"I have been waiting for it for a year! It is very useful for myself and it is very cool," she said.

Exclusive Philippine distributor Globe Telecom believes that high inflation and rising food and fuel costs will not deter Filipinos from buying the revolutionary phone.

Globe Telecom is banking on the stylish Apple iPhone to boost its profits for the year. In fact, a week before the launch on Friday, Globe Telecom even slashed its prices by ten per cent to attract more subscribers.

Prepaid subscribers can get an 8-gigabyte iPhone for US$835, while a 16-gigabyte iPhone costs around US$973.

The 8-gigabyte iPhone is free for subscribers of the highest postpaid plan of US$111 a month.

Manny Aligada, head of Customer Engagement, Globe Telecom, said: "Filipinos are very tech-savvy, and a good portion of the population is also very fashionable and practical. Because of the things that you can do with an iPhone, it will become very popular. We are coming out with it before the peak of the Christmas season so that people can start using it."

Globe Telecom - a joint venture between Philippines' largest conglomerate, Ayala Corporation, and Singapore Telecom - is the country's second largest phone company with 22.7 million subscribers.


- CNA/so

Burlingame,California Iphone Launch

 
A day after the opening, people are still lining up to get their 3G Apple Iphones.  Although some reports say that there was some system glitch that new buyers couldn't activate their Iphones and were eventually sent home.  Over the weekend though, the system recovered and the issues were resolved. 

This photo was taken at Burlingame, California.  Thanks e! for sending this one...

The 3G Iphone

Iphone shortage ?

Found this article... Read on... could affect us iphone fans....
Incidentally,  would like to get comments/ inputs /photos on how you were able to get one or what it took to get one... Share and share .... 
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iPhone shortage could leave customers empty-handed

By Claudine Beaumont
Last Updated: 11:01am BST 10/07/2008

Customers hoping to buy Apple’s new iPhone 3G tomorrow have been warned they might have to wait until the end of the summer to get their hands on the device.

O2, Apple’s exclusive network carrier in the UK, has advised customers that due to "unprecedented demand", there will be limited numbers of the iPhone – which combines a touchscreen mobile phone with an iPod music player and full web browser – available on launch day.
    
Stocks of Apple's new 3G iPhone arrive at Carphone Warehouse on July 10
Apple's 3G iPhones arrive at Carphone Warehouse: but demand means customers could have to wait.

"While we are confident that all customers who want iPhone 3G will get one by the end of the summer, initial supply is limited, and will be for some weeks," said an O2 spokesperson. "We are working closely with Apple to get additional iPhone 3Gs. These will be coming in on a weekly basis."

It is thought that around 50,000 new iPhones have been shipped to the UK. According to a source at the Carphone Warehouse, which is also selling the device, just under 10,000 units have been earmarked for its stores. Of that allocation, just over 1,300 iPhones were set aside for the first batch of internet pre-orders, which sold out on the day of release. A subsequent allocation of pre-order handsets has now been made available on the Carphone Warehouse site.

O2 and Apple, by comparison, are believed to have an allocation of about 15,000 units each. The source at the Carphone Warehouse said that its stores would receive between 10 and 20 handsets each, depending on the size of the store, and also on the number of reduced-price first-generation iPhones each Carphone Warehouse shop sold last month when the cost of the 8GB handset dropped by £100.

O2 confirms that there will be just "a few dozen" handsets in each store, although some stores will receive more handsets depending on the size of the shop. It has already sold out of its allocation of online pre-orders. At one point, the O2 website was handling 13,000 pre-order requests per second from gadget fans on Monday, and its web store had to be taken offline after servers buckled under the weight of traffic.

The iPhone 3G is so called because it uses the high-speed 3G mobile phone network to access the web when not in a wireless internet zone. Getting online with the new device is noticeably faster than on the original iPhone, and the new handset also has built-in GPS software, which effectively turns it into a satellite navigation system.

Despite demand outstripping early supply, there is no sign yet of queues forming at retail outlets in the UK. In New Zealand and Japan, which will be getting the iPhone for the first time, eager shoppers have already set up camp outside shops selling the new device.

The original iPhone, which went on sale in the UK in November last year, cost £269 at launch, with O2 tariffs starting at £35 per month. The new iPhone 3G, by contrast, is available for free on some contracts.

Apple has sold more than six million iPhones worldwide since they first went on sale in the US last July. It hopes to sell more than 10 million phones by the end of the year.

The GPS and You

Found this article about GPS service.... While there's a subtle truth that technology does make us a little bit too dependent, it also helps us achieve a bit more of efficiency - of doing the right things faster. In this world where everything seems to be at a rush, this kind of technology will definitely make us survive.
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ABC News

Will GPS Make Us Dumb?
Experts Say Direction-Giving Phones Could Make Us Lose Our Way
By CLOE SHASHA
June 17, 2008

For most people -- the cab driver, the tourist, the business traveler -- the ubiquitous
GPS has become a lifeline, giving directions to the nearest bathroom, a pizza joint or
the shortest route to the office.

But, just like with spell-checker before it, some experts believe that the guiding device
gives less than what it takes away. The price we pay for the convenience, they say,
could be our sense of direction.

For years, the Web-surfing faithful have used Internet-based maps and route finders,
like MapQuest and Google Maps, to guide them to their destinations. These online
options bring travelers instantly calculated directions, without having to scrutinize
colorful representations of roads. But now, as BlackBerrys and the new iPhone that hits
stores on July 11 become GPS-enabled, the world will see a drastic leap in hand-held
technology, as well.

As the prices on these devices drop -- the new iPhone will cost only about $200 -- more
people will be able to possess these GPS phones. This new affordability may increase our
addiction to GPS, according to Ian White, founder of Urban Mapping, a company that
licenses geographic data for use in online maps, like Google Maps.

"When we develop a crutch for technology, we lose the ability to do that which we did
previously," White said. "It couldn't be more true. People become more and more reliant,
and their expectations get bigger and bigger, and if technology doesn't deliver, they get
frustrated."

This dependence can already be seen in the use of GPS in cars, which has become more
prevalent. If other phone makers follow Apple's footsteps, look for GPS to become even
more commonplace.

"I think GPS is going to continue to be embedded in more and more digital devices,
including kinds that we haven't even imagined yet," Middlebury College geography
professor Anne Knowles said. "Any human activity takes place somewhere. I think we
could see GPS units in our watches, in credit cards, or for any human activity that relies
on knowing where you are or planning where you're going to go."

In anticipation of the Apple Iphone

I am absolutely excited on the Iphone release in our place. Have read so much about it that it really is very hard not to join the bandwagon. Everytime I read something about it , I imagine what I would like to get - will it be red or black? , would it have my choice of games? , would I be able to afford it ? would it now have MMS ? etc...

What I know it'll be is that it's going to be 3G, it won't be flip phone, it will have applications but will have to see up to what extent. What it should be is that it should be designed for everyone. It will definitely big in the business sector for the PC like functions and should be good for the yuppies / students for the games and other cool stuff functions.

All of my questions and anticipations would soon be answered when the Apple Iphone is finally released. And when it does, it'll probably be a major hit! I have some friends who still has the don't know- don't care attitude. This might just change. Take it from me- I didn't love the iPhone two months ago. But now am looking foward to it.

I was really happy I found out about this from the article... I am going to buy one but was hoping to share the games for my husband and my sons...Read on..
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Ubisoft to develop games for iPhone

Posted on Saturday, Jun 7, 2008 by Casey Chan

Ubisoft, the publisher of game series such as Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and Prince of Persia, is reportedly very interested in developing games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Pauline Jacquey, Executive Producer of Ubisoft’s “Games for Everyone” recently said, “At the minute, we’re only showing DS and Wii games, but we’ll be working on all other platforms. We’ll be making games not only on PC, PS3 and 360, but on iPhone and iPod touch as well.”

Hopefully, the iPhone will start with “Games for Everyone” and then extend to deeper, more immersive games such as the aforementioned Rainbow Six or Prince of Persia series. Because currently the “Games for Everyone” lineup is well, uhm, how would you say it, lacks pizzazz?

Ubisoft may be waiting to see how well EA and Sega develop real games for the iPhone and what kind of market there will be for iPhone gaming before jumping in. But no worries Ubisoft, as we stated on TiPb many times before, we love iPhone gaming. And none of us ever want to go back to that mobile version junk.