9to5Mac is reporting they’ve received a tip that Apple is developing an FM Radio app for the iPhone and iPod touch that will have background multi-tasking (like Apple’s Phone and iPod apps), and may be able to pause live programming like the new iPod nano radio feature.

It will either be provided as a stand alone app, or integrated into the iPod app, but it’s still a work in progress:

The holdup on this app is that Apple is trying to integrate the Mobile iTunes Store purchases into the functionality of the program. For instance, if you like a song you are listening to on the radio (and that station supports tagging and you are in the US), you will be able to push a button and see the song (and all of the information around it) in the iTunes Mobile store. With another click, you’ll be able to make a purchase. This is an extension of the Song Tagging feature used in the iPod Nanos. Perhaps they could even add some Shazam technology to help with those stations that don’t support tagging.

9to5Mac further claims that existing iPhones and iPod touches have been technically able, though not yet enabled, to receive FM Radio for a while now, and that the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch G3 can even broadcast FM Radio as part of the Nike+.

While rumors of FM Radio functionality, and radio tagging surfaced before the iPhone 3GS shipped, and the chipsets may have such technology as part of their overall package, it’s unknown how easily Apple could “flip the switch” on full FM Radio — the way they did for Bluetooth Stereo A2DP on the iPod touch G2.

Still, given the iPod nano’s radio feature, and under the cliche of better late than never, if Apple does indeed add Radio.app or just build in a Radio tab to iPod.app, were’ sure some users would be happy. Right?

An update from the folks Cerulean Studios on the status of the iPhone version of their popular IM client, Trillian:

It's been 60 days since our initial and only submission to the App Store. Unlike many of the horror stories you may have read about, we haven't yet received a rejection notice and we're not frantically going back and forth with Apple fixing reported problems. Despite sending a steady stream of emails to Apple requesting status updates, we continue to receive generic form letters in response – frustrating, to say the least. As developers, we absolutely understand and appreciate Apple's need to quality control applications – including the need for additional review time when warranted – but being kept in the dark for two months is a strange way to accomplish this. Cerulean remains ready and willing to work with Apple to ensure the software meets all necessary requirements.

We’re hoping they hear back soon as well. We’re also hoping Apple understands that their lack of communication continues to hurt what’s otherwise a fantastic success story with the App Store. Step up to the mic, will ya? Everything can’t be dead silence and boilerplate on one end, Phil Schiller email on the other…

[Thanks Robert for the tip!]

In Stock: Samsung WEP870 Convertible Mono and Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Take the latest technology in Bluetooth audio and entertainment with you in one convenient package with the WEP870 Convertible Mono and Stereo Music Streaming Headset.

This brilliant device not only provides advanced, dual microphone noise cancellation for crystal clear conversations, it easily converts to a stereo, music streaming wonder with the included adjustable stereo ear bud lanyard. Plus, the WEP870 allows you to take calls in mono and stereo mode, gently fading your music when a call comes in then returning to your music when your call ends.

Features:

• Talk Time/Play Time: Up to 6 hours
• Standby time: Up to 150 hours
• Dedicated on/off switch
• Detachable Crystal Clear Earhook

Order the Samsung WEP870 Convertible Mono and Stereo Bluetooth Headset now from TiPb’s iPhone store…

Pinch Media has shared some data they presented at 360iDev on the state of app piracy on the iPhone, and there are a few key take-aways:

• Pinch Media began “jailbreak detection” analytics in response after developers noted spikes in their userbase that were beyond what iTunes connect was reporting for downloads.
• These analytics show roughly 4 million jailbreak devices, 38% of which are using pirated app(s) (aka cracked apps). In other words, most jailbreakers don’t steal apps.
• Piracy is highest in China, Russia, and Brazil, with Europe and Canada being the mid-ground, and the USA, Great Britain, and Japan having the lowest rates.
• Of paid apps that use Pinch Media’s services, 60% have been pirated.
• Of those pirated apps, 34% of all installs are the pirated version.
• Like legitimate app downloads, pirated apps are used a lot at first, but drop off quickly (more quickly than legitimate app usage, in fact).
• Pirated apps on jailbroken iPhones crash more, which may be why they’re used less.
• Those who claim to use pirated apps as a way to “try before they buy” are full of it. While 7.4% of legitimate “Lite” app downloads up-convert to the paid version, only 0.43% of pirated apps lead to purchase of the legitimate paid version.

Interesting to say the least. Read the full report for all the details, then come back here and let us know what you think.

The Dev Team has just released PwnageTool 3.1.4 for Mac OS X. This release supports the 3.1.2 iPhone software for the following devices: iPhone 2G/3G/3GS and iPod Touch 1G/2G.

• The iPhone 3GS is now supported out of the box in PwnageTool 3.1.4 (or if you have upgraded to 3.1.x in iTunes)
• The iPod 2G is still supported in PwnageTool 3.1.4 but you must already be jailbroken (we'll update this if there's a big demand from non-jailbroken ipt2G owners)
• The iPod touch 3G is NOT supported

If you’ve Unlocked your iPhone under 3.0, and want to maintain your unlock, it’s vital to remember:

This release allows your baseband to remain unlocked at 3.1.2, but it does not unlock a new baseband put there by restoring to official 3.1.x. It is super important that people who need the unlock to understand they can keep it only by starting at 3.0 (or earlier) and updating solely to custom IPSWs that don't update the baseband.

If you used some other method, including blackra1n that involved upgrading to Apple’s 3.1.2, your baseband has also been updated and there’s no unlock until (if?) someone figures it out, and the Dev Team has no time table for that.

For the full details please visit the Dev Teams blog and read carefully as TiPb is not responsible for your jailbreak outcome, good or bad.

Need more help? Visit TiPb’s iPhone Jailbreak/Unlock forum.

Following up on allegations made by an indie label that Apple charges $10,000 for an iTunes LP and wouldn’t even allow indie labels access to the program, an iTunes spokesperson responded to Music Week with the following statement:

"There is no production fee charged by Apple. We’re releasing the open specs for iTunes LP soon, allowing both major and indie labels to create their own."

Fake crisis averted?

[via 9to5mac via Distorted-Loop]

Ocean Observations brings us a couple concepts on how they’d improve the iPhone Home Screen (Springboard). The first, above, embeds a tiny CoverFlow for apps at the bottom of the screen. While interesting, since Springboard currently supports only portrait mode and icon view, as TiPb’s asked for before, why not let it rotate to landscape for full-screen coverflow?

Next video concept, and another idea from Tog after the break!

Expose is awesome on the Mac, especially in Snow Leopard, but do we want it on our iPhone? The above proof-of-concept video offers a take on how it could look and work. Unfortunately, at that small size, are the tiny Home Screens discoverable? Would it work better if, instead of the Home Screens, it was a set of user-enabled background apps that were shown via Expose?

For both, holding down the Home button to launch would, of course, require giving up the current Voice Control activation, unless more complex controls like tap, tap, hold were introduced and weren’t too user hostile.

Meanwhile, Human Interface Guideline legend Tog offers his own opinion on what the iPhone home page system (called Springboard) needs to do to handle 180+ apps. His suggestions, pictured above, include labeled pages, vertical as well as horizontal scrolling, user-controlled icon positioning (i.e. the ability to leave empty slots), the ability to rename apps, containers (folders), aliases (so you can have the same app in multiple containers), and tags (which he says Apple is already working on).

Take a look at the video and check out Tog’s post, and let us know what you think.

[Via MobileCrunch and Daring Fireball, thanks Matthew for the tip!]

While reaction to Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 release ranged from “yawn” to “yeesh”, one device, not even given the stage, certainly seems to have stolen the show — HTC’s HD2.

Theories on why Microsoft didn’t see fit to show off, indeed highlight, the HD2 range from friction with HTC over their foray into Google’s Android OS, to an attempt not to show up other partners whose devices look outdated by comparison. That anyone saw it at all was only due to a few HTC reps carrying it around the show. Microsoft’s latest baffling behavior aside, the device itself clearly shows that if they aren’t going to raise their game, HTC will do it for them:

640×800 capacitive, multitouch screen driven by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, complete with Sense UI built in so deeply Microsoft’s interface is all but completely hidden from the end user.

Our sibling site, WMExperts.com, has been following the device since it was known by the code-name Leo, and report that it should be making its way to the US in the first part of 2010.

It’s nice to see some competition, if not from Microsoft itself then from HTC. But it brings a question to mind — will buyers of non-integrated devices end up going by carrier brand (AT&T, Verizon, etc.), OS brand (Android, Windows Mobile/Windows Phone), or manufacturer (HTC, Motorola, LG, Samsung, etc.)? And will that give the unified devices from Apple, BlackBerry, and Palm an easier shot at mindshare?