iPhone Live! comes to you tonight (Wednesday, July 15 ) at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT.

As always, pre-show will start about 10 min. before if you want to drop by early and reserve a space in our all new, all roomier chat room. See you then!

Join in via http://www.tipb.com/live

Chat with you soon!

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

iPhone Live! Tonight 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

UPDATE: Sibling site PreCentral.net tells us that yes, indeed, iTunes 8.2.1 looks like it kills Palm Pre Sync. A new cat and mouse game is born?

Apple has released a minor update to iTunes, version 8.2.1 available via pop up when you open iTunes, or when you launch Apple Software Update:

iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices.

If you notice any other changes or new features, drop us a comment!

[Thanks Doug for the tip!]

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

Apple Releases iTunes 8.2.1 - Kills Palm Pre Sync Dead

You purchased a new iPhone 3GS or 3G recently but you are still searching for that perfect case to protect your investment? There are so many options out there in the marketplace that choosing the perfect case can be a tough decision. Today I want to introduce yet another case that you may want to consider, the Belkin Slim-Fit Case for iPhone 3G/3GS. You can purchase the Belkin Slim Fit right here in TiPb store for the low price of $24.95. Follow us after the break to see if this case is the one for you!

Desgin

The Belkin Slim-Fit is a well designed holster case that serves one single purpose, to protect your investment while it is not in use. The case is made up of high quality leather and stitching, with fabric sides and a soft lining that will not scratch your phone. To secure your phone there is a velcro flap that assures you your phone will not accidentally fall out. A nice touch that Belkin added was leaving the bottom of the case open so you can not only attach your charging/sync cable but your speaker volume will not be muffled.

Overall, the case really lives up to its name, as it doesn't add much bulk to your iPhone, even with a belt clip on the back. Kudos to Belkin.

Daily Use

I am a big fan of holster/pouch cases, and the Belkin Slim-Fit did not disappoint. Your iPhone 3G/3GS will fit perfectly into the case but not so tight to the point where you can not get the phone out quickly if you have to answer a call. The first few times you use it, it may seem like it is tighter than you’d like but rest be assured, the leather does loosen up a bit after a few uses.

The option to use a non-removable belt clip is a nice feature. And the clip itself is very low profile so if you don’t wish to use it, the case still fits comfortably in your pocket.

If there are any downsides to the case, it would be that, as a slide-in holster, the Slim-Fit doesn't allow you use your iPhone while it’s in the case. Yes, that should be considered a given when purchasing a holster case but it would be a nice bonus to have none-the-less.

Conclusion

Like most holster-type cases, the Slim-Fit only offers protection to your iPhone when it is holstered, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends on what your preferences are in a case. If you are a fan of similar cases, this one is a great deal. In the end, I can’t help but like this case for what it is - the slimmest belt-clip case I've used - ever.

Pros

• Slimmest holster case money can buy
• Offers good protection while your iPhone 3G/3GS is not in use
• High quality materials

Cons

• Can not access your screen when your phone is in the case
• Not dockable

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

Review: Belkin Slim-Fit Case for iPhone 3G/3GS

Following up on rumors of a $800 Apple netbook, MacBook, iTablet, etc. VentureBeat reports that Apple might also use the new platform to introduce their long-rumored custom system-on-a-chip.

This would be the result of Apple purchasing fabless chip design firm Palo Alto Semiconductor (PA Semi) and hiring Papermaster from IBM and graphics processor (GPU) gurus x2 from AMD/ATI (though whether or not it includes the ARM and PowerVR licenses for cores found in the iPhone and iPod touch, or beefier Intel chips found in the Mac line is uncertain).

While Steve Jobs said PA Semi was going to be used for iPods and iPhones, VentureBeat claims the team was actually split in two, half for iPod/iPhone and half for the tablet.

TUAW speculates that, given recent news of problems between Apple and Nvidia, who currently makes the Mac integrated chipsets, perhaps Apple will push the custom work into that line as well.

Either way, we’ve seen the huge benefit shared software technology has provided for the iPhone and Mac (Spotlight, QuickTime X to name but two), Apple going in-house with the chipsets could be just as beneficial…

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

Rumor: $800 iTablet to Use Custom Apple Chipset?

Following up on last night‘ release of iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 firmware and SDK, developers are finding more changes and new features.

• TUAW reports that the AT&T IPCC hack, where the carrier file was modified to allow iPhone tethering sans official AT&T sanction no longer works. Bummer, given AT&T still hasn’t announced anything about legitimate tethering support or pricing.

• Engadget Mobile’s been informed that new APIs have been introduced allowing for the manipulation of live video to produce “augmented reality” apps (where information is layered on top of the video).

• Ars Technica reports iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 allows developers to connect to test devices via Wi-Fi, rather than having to tether via USB as in previous releases, and still access instruments and other features.

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

iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 Breaks AT&T Tethering Hack, Allows Wi-Fi Testing, Intros Augmented Reality APIs?

Apple has just informed developers that a new version of iPhone 3.1 Beta firmware and SDK have been released:

iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 are now available on the iPhone Dev Center. These versions are for development and testing only and should be installed on devices dedicated to iPhone OS 3.1 beta software development. Please read the iPhone OS beta Pre-Install Advisory and the iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 release notes before downloading and installing.

Use the Apple Bug Reporter if you discover compatibility or functionality issues while testing with the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 release.

Registered developers can, as stated, grab it via developer.apple.com.

UPDATE: Ars Technica reports iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 allows developers to send apps to test devices via Wi-Fi, rather than having to tether via USB as in previous releases.

According to WhenWithApple, minor changes include new language for the video editing options, now called “Trim Original” and “Save As…” Screenshot after the break!

When/if we come across anything else, we’ll update and add it to our ongoing iPhone 3.1 Beta Walkthrough…

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

Apple Releases iPhone 3.1 Firmware and SDK to Developers