Join Chad, Rene ,and special guest, Michael Manna of the (of T4 Show fame) 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

REMINDER: You can watch us live on your iPhone with the Ustream Viewer app [Free - iTunes link]. Just wait until the show starts (8pm ET) and search for iPhone. We’ll pop up. Literally.

Chat with you soon!

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

iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT)

When TiPb posted on Mplayit, being a huge iPhone and Facebook fan, I decided to take a closer look and here’s what I found — Mplayit takes browsing and buying iPhone apps to a whole new level. Mplayit is an application on facebook, or a website on your iPhone, that allows you to find apps, read a description, rating and an iTunes link to download them. Sound familiar? There’s more, Mplayit not only does these things well, but also gives you YouTube videos of apps and ways to share the app. In facebook you can share on your wall or send a message. There are also links to share via Twitter or email. On the iPhone, you can share via the mail app.

Apps can also be added to Mplayit’s “collections” feature. Simply click the add to my collection link on your favorite app. Mplayit will also “learn” over time what apps to recommend to you based on what you add to your collection. You can search for apps by typing the name in the search box, or you can choose to look at apps based on category.

I am very excited about this new way to browse apps for your iPhone. The added value of video and wide array of sharing options along with collections make this one compelling alternative to the iTunes app store.

Have friends that don’t have an iPhone? That’s ok, word on the street says that Mplayit will be launching soon on BlackBerry and Android platforms. Check out the screenshots below for examples of the desktop app and iPhone webpage. You can read more about Mplayit on their corporate site, or on Twitter.

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

Mplayit for Facebook and iPhone

I had an opportunity to check out the Jabra BT2080 [$39.95 - TiPb Store link] and not only is this headset reasonably priced, but has some nice functionality too! You can check it out in the in the . Now, let’s check out why makes this headset nice!

Bluetooth headsets are a dime a dozen these days; the market is literally flooded with them. So, when given the chance to look at the Jabra BT2080, I reluctantly gave it a go. I mean, a headset is a headset right? Well, for the most part yes, but there are some things that separate this headset from the rest of the crowd. For starters, it has a dedicated On/Off button. Most headsets don’t have this feature. Instead they rely on the user holding down the talk button for 5 or more seconds. On the BT2080, you hold the power button for 2 seconds (you don’t want to accidentally turn it off after all). Next you have your standard volume controls. The volume can be controlled from the headset or the iPhone. I mention this because iPhone software 3.0 and later has rather sketchy bluetooth support and I have found some features in headsets to not work. Rest assured, everything on this headset works with the iPhone. To answer a call and end a call you can press the call button on the outside of the headset. Want to dial the last number? Double click the call button.

How do you tell if the headset is connected to a device to if the power is running low? On most headsets you have a single light that blinks or changes colors to indicate all of this information. On the BT2080, you have two dedicated lights; one for bluetooth (connected) and one for power. To turn the lights on, click the call button once quickly and they light up. Very convenient.

So, lastly let’s discuss how the headset fits and how comfortable it is and how it sounds. The good news? Well, there is no bad news! That is right, the headset is lite and gives a few fitting options; it comes with three different sizes of ear-gel inserts and two sizes of ear loops. In my opinion, once you find the ear gel that works for you, it stays in place thus eliminating the need to use the loop. Since the headset is lite, it is comfortable to wear over time. When it comes to call clarity, it sounded good, especially with the ear gel as it did not let any external sound in. As for background noise such as the window down while driving, I did not run into any real issues; people on the other line could hear me. Oh, and one more thing, there was also a good range for the headset to be away from your body without static interfering.

So, I liked this headset and was presently surprised. It is lite, has some nice functions, sounds good and is very reasonably priced. It works for me!

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

Jabra BT2080 Reality Review

On the heels of a Bloomberg TV interview with Brian Marshall [YouTube link] Turley Muller of Financial Alchemist puts foot to assumptions, and figures the following:

• AT&T likely subsidizes the iPhone to the tune of $400
• If AT&T loses exclusivity (i.e. if Verizon gets the iPhone), the subsidy probably won’t change. (Not a revelation to the rest of the world where multiple carriers hasn’t changed the subsidy or pricing…)
• iPhone users are 14% of AT&T’s wireless customer base.
• iPhone exclusivity with AT&T may terminate at the end of 2010 but only Apple and AT&T know for sure.

Disclosure, he’s long on Apple, but short on Marshall, it seems. Anyone really, truly surprised by any of the above?

[via Daring Fireball]

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

Is Apple Just That Into AT&T? — Fact Checking the Carrier Relationship

While the US continues to enjoy one single iPhone carrier, Canada is about to welcome their 4th (or 5th if you count Rogers subsidiary Fido as a separate carrier), and that carrier is Virgin Mobile:

Virgin Mobile Canada will launch iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in Virgin Mobile Retail Stores and online in Canada in the coming months. For more information on iPhone, please visit.

MobileSyrup pegs February 2010 as launch date for Virgin Mobile Canada, though they’re still playing it coy with the old “coming months” line.

No word yet on how they’ll advertise, but we bet Apple won’t let them be as risque as BlackBerry… Either way, if you held off on Rogers/Fido, and kept waiting through Bell and Telus, is Virgin Mobile finally the provider for you?

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

iPhone Going Virgin Mobile in Canada

The US sent the iPhone to Walmart and the Shack, so it stands to reason the UK would retaliate with their own mass-market venue, Tesco. In other words, Brits can now stock up on razors, lettuce, and O2-powered iPhones all at the same time.

Our only question remains — how long before America raises the stakes again? How long before you can hit a drive-through at 4am and the mechanical clown speaker asks “ya want an iPhone with that? Supersize to 32GB?”

[Tesco via BBC via Engadget]

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

Tesco to Sell iPhone in Time for Holidays