Join Chad, Rene, and Dieter tonight for all the week’s news, views, and rants. If you have any questions, leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter @theiphoneblog, or better still — join us live in the chat room 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.

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Our good friends over at CrackBerry.com found and posted up this handy chart from Verizon, meant to serve as a point of comparison between the upcoming BlackBerry Storm 2 and competitive devices. The problem? Like cake, the CHART IS A LIE!

The sad part is that the dodgy folks at Verizon are comparing the latest BlackBerry Storm 2 against last year’s iPhone 3G. The really sad part is even if it’s fairer to compare the upcoming Storm to the outgoing iPhone, the chart is STILL A LIE. The iPhone 3G has had OTA 3G/EDGE music downloads since Macworld in January 2009. Likewise, the GPS in the iPhone 3G (and iPhone 3GS) is assisted (aGPS). Swap in an iPhone 3GS and there goes the camera megapixel advantage.

(Never mind the exclusion of important factors like 75,000+ apps, digital compass for augmented reality (Storm 2 has?), app integration with peripherals, a browser that can properly render AJAX, unicorn tears?!)

So what’s left? If the Storm 2 can’t even compete honestly on Verizon’s own chart, they’re in for some trouble. Of course telcos need to give their reps something to answer legitimate consumer questions about how their new devices compare to existing ones. However, Verizon would likely do better with a chart that won’t get the rep laughed out of a sale by any savvy Smartphone Experts reader.

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

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 vs. iPhone Chart, like Cake, is a LIE!

Did Apple close the 24kpwn exploit in the latest shipments of the iPhone 3GS due to app piracy? MobileCrunch thinks it’s certainly a factor:

While jailbreaking allows for countless wonderful (but otherwise disallowed) apps to run on the iPhone, it also allows cracked versions of paid applications to be installed. As a result, piracy is mind-blowingly, soul-crushingly rampant on the iPhone. Many iPhone developers – such as those behind the popular IM client, Beejive – are reporting that 80 percent of their users are pirates. Yep. For every 10 users on Beejive, 8 of them didn't pay for it. I'm no saint myself, and all of us here fully understand that a download does not equal a lost sale – but when 80% of the people using your app (and in Beejive's case, your servers) aren't paying to keep the lights on, it's likely seen as a big issue.

As Jeremy posted yesterday, Apple has begun shipping iPhone 3GS with new boot ROMs patched against the longstanding 24kpwn exploit commonly used to Jailbreak the devices. We also saw some reports on the state of app piracy from Pinch Media.

What do you think? Would Apple turn a blinder eye towards Jailbreaking if app piracy wasn’t a factor? Or is Apple duty bound to patch known security exploits no matter what?

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

Apple Closed Jailbreak Exploit Due to App Piracy?

We have all been there. You know, our iPhone is about to die from a drained battery and no charge cable in sight. Well, the Seidio 3-in-1 Retractable Charger [$29.99 - TiPb Store link] is here to change that. The Seidio charger gives you everything you need for any portable situation. You get a USB cable that actually snaps into place (I love that. Most cables I see these days don’t actually snap in place, they just fit, but not securely) and the always capable wall charger and large grip-friendly car charger.

What really sets this charger apart from the competition is the retractability of the cable. Just like with other retractable cords, you pull on both ends and it expands. Of course, it is convenient if you have your iPhone charging on your Mac or PC to just let is sit right next to your computer without any extra cable mess.

I use my cable on the time. My day starts off with getting in the car for work (yeah, don’t use it at home, I have a cradle for that) and plugging it into the car adapter. I have a good 45 minute commute to work, so this buys me time to charge and listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks. Once I am work, I take the cable with me and charge at my desk as need. Yes, I am one of those people that if the iPhone 3GS tells me I have 96% battery, I must make it 100%.

As the day winds down, I repeat the morning process. Now you are probably thinking to yourself, “Why is this guy telling me how he carries his cable around all day?” Well, that is the point isn’t it? The fact that the cable retracts makes it super easy to pull out of my bag and stow it away. I have a separate cable I stash in my bag too, the one that came with the iPhone. Using that cable is annoying as I have to “stuff” it in my bag, where the Seidio cable retracts beautifully with no mess. I know, it is the little things. Because of its portability, this has quickly become my main cable. On the ever-so-small downside, there is not an airplane adapter. That would make this the ultimate in charger cables, but for now, Seidio will have to do with a “fav” rating from this reviewer.

If you are looking for a functional cable such as this, you can pick it up in the TiPb store for $29.95.

Check out more in the gallery below!

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

Seidio 3-in-1 Retractable Charger Reality Review

Apple has jumped on the Wi-Fi Direct bandwagon, which means we could see the technology introduced into the iPhone and iPod touch as early as 2010. What is it and what does it do? It basically lets devices connect peer-to-peer for data exchange, similar to how Bluetooth currently works. Or, if we understand it right, imagine the Remote app controlling your iTunes or Apple TV, but directly, without the need for shared router in between. Says AppleInsider:

The new Wi-Fi Direct standard is intended for both consumer electronics and enterprise applications. It will include WPA2 security, and management features for enterprise environments. The new technology will use roughly the same power, provide the same data rates, and offer the same range as current Wi-Fi products.

Given the timetable, it might cut things too close for Wi-Fi Direct in a 4th generation iPhone, expected to be announced in mid-June at WWDC 2010, though it might be in time for a 4th generation iPod touch that September. But here’s hoping Apple can get it done. Just think of the phat multi-player gaming pipe it would provide… (Or, you know — pay attention Apple! — Wi-Fi Direct Sync?!)

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

Apple Bringing Wi-Fi Direct to iPhone in 2010?

Roughly 3 weeks ago Google (finally!) added Gmail to their Google Sync service, allowing iPhone users to add push email to the previously available contacts and calendars. It wasn’t a solution for everyone, since it used Microsoft’s ActiveSync, which allows for only one account per device, and many users already had a business Exchange server in that slot. For those without Exchange, however, it’s awesome, right?

Or is it? We’ve had many readers tell us it works great, and others who’ve had some problems — enough that we want to ask, how’s Google Sync working on your iPhone?

Let us know in the poll above, and elaborate as needed in the comments!

(And we’ll insert yet another plea to Apple and Google to give us Gmail via IMAP IDLE in the Mail app already!)

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

Poll: How’s Google Sync Gmail Working on Your iPhone?

Along with iPhone 3.1.2, AT&T users received a 5.6 carrier file update, but the reason(s) for it weren’t clear. MMS was already enabled, and tethering was nowhere in site, so what was it for? Well, iPhone Savior sat on the phone with Apple support long enough to find out! Turns out, it fixed an MMS bug:

When sending photos or videos in an MMS message, the progress bar would stall at about 90% then result in an error ending with a (!) red exclamation point next to the MMS message. The associated message failed to be properly sent, though standard text messages worked as normal. The 5.6 patch addressed that particular MMS issue.

Anyone out these have that problem prior to Carrier File 5.6? And if so, did it fix it for you? Let us know!

[iPhone Savior via Gizmodo]

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

Mystery Solved: AT&T Carrier File Update 5.6 for iPhone Did What Exactly?

Looks like Google Wave, the big G’s cloud-based take on next-generation communication and collaboration, already works on the iPhone. No big surprise, though, it’s browser powered and the iPhone still has the slickest browser in mobile. Google even showed it off on an iPhone during its debut at IO 2009. TechCrunch, however, found this interesting little bit of behavior:

Just like with any Web page on the iPhone, you can save a bookmark on your Home screen, and it creates a little icon which launches mobile Safari to that page. When you save the Wave bookmark to your Home screen, however, something different happens. You go to Wave, but without the Safari wrapper which allows you to navigate to another page or search the Web. Instead, it looks more like a regular app and there is no way to navigate away from it. Everything else works the same as in the mobile browser version.

This feature, as TechCrunch states, has been available to iPhone developers for a while, and helps blur the line between highly localized WebApps, and highly cloud-dependant widgets. If you’re using Google Wave on your iPhone, let us know how it works for you. (And if you work for Google, send us an invite so we can try it.)

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

Quick WebApp Update: Google Wave Goes Full Screen for iPhone

UPDATED: According to @geohot on Twitter, blackra1n for Mac is now live.

ORIGINAL: When George Hotz released his all iPhone/iPod 3.1.2 jailbreak application for Windows, blackra1n, he was unsure whether or not he would write a Mac OS X version. According to a recent post on Twitter it seems as if he’s had a change of heart.

blackra1n for mac coming soon…actually reuses code…NSRunAlertPanel causing crashes…and can anyone blackify the purplera1n mac icon?

It would be nice if this upcoming Mac version includes an exploit for the new bootrom but the probability of that happening is highly unlikely. For the latest news and tips for jailbreaking/unlocking your iPhone, visit our iPhone Jailbreak/Unlock forums.

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

Updated: It’s Live! Universal iPhone/iPod touch 3.1.2 Jailbreak Tool blackra1n for Mac OS X Coming Soon

iClarified is reporting some very unsettling news for those of you looking to pick up a new iPhone 3GS as they say Apple is now shipping iPhone 3GS devices with a new bootrom blocking the 24kpwn exploit. Devices with the iBoot-359.3.2 bootrom began shipping last week and are now being sold in Apple and AT&T stores. This means if you are unfortunate enough to land one of these new devices you will not be able to jailbreak until the Dev Team or George Hotz can come up with a solution.

For those of you who can’t wait to jailbreak your new iPhone 3GS, we suggest you listen to iClarified and try to pick up a refurbished unit or try to locate some older stock. The race is now on, who will be the first to find a new exploit to take advantage of – George Hotz or the Dev Team?

The cat and mouse game has just got a bit more interesting…

[Thanks for the tip mysterio!]

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

Apple Breaks Jailbreak in Newly Shipped iPhone 3GS Devices