www.umpcfever.com [Google translation link] has posted what just might be the first pictures taken of the next generation iPhone… taking pictures. Highlights include the new auto-focus, both how it looks in action and the results of photos taken with it compared to the original iPhone 2G. The new digital compass, and a CPU log are also featured, along with some other new features we’ve already seen from 3.0 running on current iPhone 3G hardware.

Are these for real? We’d guess all of this was merely surfaced in iPhone 3.0 on iPhone 3G… except the iPhone 3G doesn’t have a digital compass and it’s camera doesn’t auto-focus. So, either it’s a combo-ruse, or we have just seen the first images of the next generation iPhone in the wild.

A few more pics below, hit up the source article for all of them…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Next Generation iPhone Camera… Caught on Camera?

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chris’ Pick: AppShopper.com

just want to give a mention to the website www.appshopper.com. I love the ability to look at apps, price history, see other apps by the developer, etc. I really like the price history guide, because I can tell how much of a sale an app really may be having! It a great way to peruse apps other than using the App Store app. [web link]

James’ Pick: Evernote

One app lacking features is the stock note app. Evernote is a great replacement that contains more features then you could shake an iPhone at. The ability to capture text, picture and voice notes, Evernote is a free app that syncs your notes with Evernotes web service. The web service contains a free and premium service, along with a native Mac or PC program and web clipping browser addons. The perfect compliment that forgetful people like myself can use on a daily basis to remember everything. [Free - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: TwitterFon

TwitterFon has taken over my #1 Twitter iPhone application from Tweetie. It has to be the most under rated Twitter app currently available. Its straight forward, had a clean UI, and it displays number badges for mentions, messages, etc. Best yet, it’s free! [Free - iTunes link]

Leanna’s Pick: Air Mouse Pro

This application turns your iPhone into an “air mouse” or track pad. Air Mouse Pro uses the accelerometer to control the movement of the mouse on your computer. It also allows you to use your iPhone as a keyboard to type directly to your Mac or PC. Want common controls to your web browser or media player? Air Mouse Pro knows when you’re using such an application and shows the appropriate keys for that program. I personally love using Air Mouse Pro when I want to relax on the couch and browse the internet with my MacBook on the coffee table. [ $5.99 - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: Pocket Tanks Deluxe

Pocket Tanks Deluxe has been around for some time now as a PC & Mac game but now it is available on iPhone! Pocket Tanks Deluxe is a 2D tank artillery game. This isn’t just a port of an old game, the controls & interface have been completely re-done. The game finally follows it’s name - you can really take Pocket Tanks in your pocket! It is similar to iShoot, but it has better graphics, more weapons, & more colors; it has single (you vs. CPU) & dual-play as well as target practice sessions. If you are a fan of iShoot, this game will not let you down! [$4.99 - iTunes link]

Rene’s Pick: SpinRite

I’ve got a ton of media for my iPhone — music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. I store it on a hard drive. Hard drives get errors. This is a fact of life. Enter SpinRite. Whenever I buy a new hard drive, especially a massive one meant for storage, I run SpinRite to map out bad sectors and to make sure, if it fails, it fails right away when I can still exchange it. I also run SpinRite every 4-6 months for maintenance. Of course, it’s true value is saving hard drives that have already failed (platter gouges not withstanding), and more often than not, it’s saved my data when nothing else has. It might seem pricy, but what price can you put on your priceless data? [$89.00 - web link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

AppShopper.com, Evernote, TwitterFon, Air Mouse Pro, Pocket Tanks Deluxe, SpinRite –TiPb Picks of the Week

There was some great news this week on the Steve Jobs front. According to the WSJ his Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak said Jobs sounded “healthy and energetic” while admitting he’d never asked directly about Jobs’ health.

SetteB.it ran a story saying Jobs had gone into Apple HQ for a meeting.

So, despite Apple consistently stating that Steve Jobs’ leave of absence would run through the “end of June“, despite WWDC running June 8-12, despite Apple announcing Phil Schiller would Keynote this year, rumors, speculation, and simple hope remains for a surprise appearance or cameo of any kind.

Obviously, that’s a tribute to the presence of Steve Jobs.

Could it happen? Never is never an answer. Could Phil Schiller pull out a next-generation iPhone to take a call or play a voice-mail from Jobs, the way Jobs has called Schiller at previous WWDCs? It would certainly give the audience — on location and on the internet — a huge thrill.

But all we know for certain at this point is Steve Jobs is still scheduled to return to Apple at the end of June and given his historical desire for privacy, that might be all we’re going to know.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Regarding Steve Jobs and WWDC

TiPb just received a tip from inside one of Apple’s carrier partners on the memo reproduced below. We can’t verify it but are running it just in case anyone notices any problems and comes looking for potential causes.

Our tipster thought Apple might be using the downtime to prep for some iPhone 3.0 and next-generation iPhone hardware goodness. We have no way of verifying that either, of course, but with under 10 days to WWDC 2009, nothing — fact or fiction — surprises us anymore…

On Sunday evening May 31 / Monday June 1, in some time zones Apple will perform maintenance on the servers responsible for all iPhone activations.

This is a planned maintenance that begins at 8:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00 p.m., United States Pacific time.

During the scheduled downtime, attempts to activate a new iPhone will result in iTunes displaying a message that says activations are currently unavailable.

If a customer reports this as a problem please explain that:

Nothing is wrong with iTunes or the customer’s iPhone.

This is a scheduled downtime for system maintenance.

The iTunes Store, App Store, MobieMe, and www.apple.com are not affected.

Per the message in iTunes, the customer should try connecting again after the maintenance period has ended.”

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple iPhone Activation Offline on Sunday, May 31?

The short of this one is that you plus your DSLR camera (Canon currently, Nikon in development) into your computer), run a server on your computer, and then run DSLR Remote on your iPhone and — Boom! — you can get the live preview right from the camera lens on your iPhone, adjust all sorts of settings like white balance, ISO, etc. and “fire” pictures off when you’ve got it set up, and set on, just exactly what you want.

The long of this is, with iPhone 3.0 coming and it’s APIs for peripheral connection via dock and Bluetooth, we ain’t seen nothing yet. It’s not hard to imagine more and more gadgets (and even appliances) suddenly taking advantage of what could be one of the most flexible and powerful “remote controls” on the market.

If iPhone 1.0 was multi-touch and the interface, 2.0 was App Store, 3.0 is still looking to be all about the accessories.

[via GeekBrief.tv]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

The Future is Now: DSLR Remote for iPhone