Citing anonymous sources, the Apple news site says the functionality of the application will be similar to what Apple built into the iPod Nano. That includes the ability to pause live FM transmissions and fast-forward when you resume playing.

According to 9 to 5 Mac, the delay in getting the app to market is Apple’s decision to integrate it with the iTunes Store, which is built into the devices. With this integration, people will be able to tap on a song they hear on the radio and buy it through iTunes.

Of course, Apple wouldn’t be the first company to offer some type of FM functionality on the iPhone. Applications like Wunder Radio have been around for over a year and enable people to stream Internet radio to their iPhone and iPod Touch.

The big advantage Apple would have is linking its application to the iTunes Store, which creates the potential for more revenue.

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Sonos, the home music system folks, just announced the forthcoming Sonos ZonePlayer S5, a wireless music system that works seamlessly with the iPhone via the free Sonos Controller App to bring all the music the Internet has to offer into the home. Unlike traditional docks, you don’t have to leave your iPhone docked and out of use to enjoy music, just queue up whatever you’d like to hear and slip your phone back in your pocket while the S5 streams your tunes.

Sonos ZonePlayer S5 features:
• Full control of your music experience with your iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac or Sonos Controller including your iTunes library and all of the popular online streaming services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Siruis
• Crystal-clear, room-filing sound from 2 tweeters, 2 mid-range drivers and subwoofer built in
• Access to music from your iTunes library and most every online music service/internet radio station
• Best-in-class wireless technology for multi-room music
• Simple setup & expansion – simple to add rooms

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qStatus is a one of a kind status update application that lets you tweet and update your Facebook status like never before. It is straight to the point, super fast, ultra cool and darn effective. qStatus saves you the hassle of updating your Facebook status and Twitter separately by doing both for you instantly.

-Instantly update Twitter and Facebook or either
-TwitPic Support
-TwitVid Support
-Tweet Shrink and Tweet long
-Tweet your currently playing music
-Dedicate the current song your playing to your friends
-Customizeable background
-Tweety bird update sound

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Speck launched today its completely redesigned one-piece polycarbonate SeeThru hard shell case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Expanding upon the already immensely popular SeeThru designs, these stylishly sleek patent-pending cases offer iPhone 3G and 3GS owners the ultimate defensive buffer from the abuse of the normal daily hectic lifestyle. Images of the new SeeThru cases can be found at http://www.speckproducts.com/content/seethru-for-iphone .

“If you were a fan of our initial SeeThru release for the iPhone 3G, you’ll fall head over heels in love with our new single-piece design,” says Irene Baran, CEO of Speck. “The new cases maintain the sleek looks of the iPhone while adding the simplicity of a more flexible one-piece design and extra level of comfort and grip to help keep your phone scuff and scratch free.”

The stylish and translucent, form-fitting case features all the protective benefits from the previous generation SeeThru, but has been updated to an easy-to-use single-piece design that also includes an integrated rubberized grip ring around the entire front bezel of the case for superior grip and increased shock-absorption. And true to SeeThru’s minimalist, lightweight mission, the case also protects without adding bulk and offers complete access to all controls, buttons and sensors. The new SeeThru cases come in a variety of colors to please any iPhone user, including clear, black and pink. The additional colors of aqua blue and red are available exclusively through AT&T online and retail stores. Red is also available internationally. All new SeeThru cases for iPhone 3G and 3GS are $29.95 MSRP (USD).

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Symmetrix is the only application in the App Store that gives the ability to create hilarious symmetric pictures from photos yourself, your friends, family, and your favorite celebrities.

Simple and ingenious, it uses a mirror effect which creates an instantly funny and interesting symmetric image.

The Symmetrix launch will be accompanied with a photo competition. The best images in the competition will prizes like Livespeakr, Pogo stylus and iPopperz.

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The TomTom Car Kit is on the US Apple Store right now for $199.95 with free shipping. The catch is that the kit is listed as not shipping for 2 to 3 weeks. If you use your iPhone as a navigation device a lot, this may be a good item to get.

The TomTom kit is expensive, but it offers a built-in speaker, TomTom maps, a docking station, and more for your money. Nav apps suck some battery life if you don’t have the iPhone plugged into the power outlet while in use.

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BoxTone®, the company that developed the industry standard for the management, monitoring and support of the BlackBerry platform, today extended its mobile user management solution to manage, track and control iPhone, Palm Pre, Windows Mobile and other ActiveSync-based smartphones.
BoxTone v5.0 enables enterprises, governmental agencies and managed service providers (MSPs) to automatically discover and inventory all enterprise-connected smartphones, track utilization, identify threats and eliminate wasted spend. This comprehensive approach to mobility management is what IT organizations need to maximize the productivity of their cross-platform mobile workforce, while optimizing the balance of service quality, cost and risk.
“With the invasion of employee-owned smartphones running on multiple mobile platforms, organizations are experiencing a new set of mobile management, compliance and cost challenges,” stated Alan Snyder, CEO, BoxTone. “Increasingly, BoxTone’s more than 230 customers worldwide had been asking us to extend our best-in-class BlackBerry platform management solution to accommodate a variety of leading smartphones. Today we responded, with BoxTone v5.0.”
Aberdeen’s September 2009 research report “Mobility Management to Drive Compliance for Employee-Liable Smartphones and Lower TCO” noted that “many IT departments feel compelled to accommodate the influx of employee-liable devices because they must find some way to satisfy the insatiable hunger for mobility among users with organizational mandates to reduce capital expenditures.” While cost savings can be had by shifting device procurement and data plan payment responsibilities from the enterprise to the employee, adding significant numbers of enterprise-enabled smartphones brings unique risks and challenges.
“The more smartphones connect to an enterprise, the higher the risk for lost or stolen sensitive information, and the potential for greater IT support costs,” stated Snyder. “With enterprise-enabled smartphones expected to jump from 10-15 percent today to 70-80 percent by 2012, those risks and costs are set to significantly increase. Enterprises that fail to proactively address this challenge will be run over by the chaos, costs and complexity of mobile diversity.”
BoxTone v5.0 starts by proactively discovering, in real-time, more than 40 critical mobile user data points including smartphone model, smartphone ID, ownership model (employee-liable versus corporate-liable), supporting infrastructure (Mobile Server, Mail Server and wireless carrier), synchronization history and whether a smartphone is BlackBerry Enterprise Server-attached or ActiveSync-attached.
Armed with full visibility to its enterprise-connected smartphones, the software’s expanded Compliance Management capabilities take over tracking and auditing of all corporate-liable and employee-liable smartphones and user activity. Benefits include the ability to rapidly identify security policy violations or threats – such as rogue or unsecured smartphones – and to confirm devices are wiped before substantial financial loss or regulatory actions ensue or IT credibility is impaired.

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Philips uses a large light box that simulates a natural sunrise with light that gradually comes on starting 30 minutes before your alarm is set to go off. Philips claims the clocks are clinically proven to have an impact on the quality of awakening. After the 30-minute light period, the device can wake you to sounds or music.

Sounds the devices offer include chirping birds, gentle beep, African jungle sounds, or soft chimes. The iPod version of the device can wake you to FM radio or playlists from your iPod as well. Both versions have the FM tuner. Both versions are available now for $169.99 for the HF3480 and $199.99 for the HF3490.

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Apple has approved over 100,000 applications in its App Store, according to the latest figures from App Shopper, an industry tracking firm. That number of approved apps dwarfs the number of apps offered by mobile app store competitors Android Marketplace, Windows Mobile Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, and Nokia’s Ovi Store. Apple’s next closest competitor, Google’s Android Marketplace, offers a relative small 10,000 mobile apps, according to App Shopper. BlackBerry App World hosts 3040 apps.

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