Join Rene, along with the triumphant return of Chad, and the Cell Phone Junkie Mickey for Apple’s “Come see our latest creation” coverage, iPhone 4.0 rumors, plus 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! The Return of Chad, TCPJ Mickey, Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT (1am GMT)

Apple announces their Jan. 27 “Come see our latest creation” event, and like a big, rumor-filled moth to an increasingly rabid internet flame, rumors of a Verizon iPhone being part of it follow:

“We believe there is a good chance,” writes Canaccord Adams’ Peter Misek in a note to clients Wednesday, “that the ‘One more thing…’ part of next week's presentation may include two iPhone-related announcements: namely, the release of iPhone OS 4.0 and the unveiling of iPhone 4G coming to Verizon in June.”

To be clear, TiPb still believes that, technologically, Apple will be able to produce a Verizon (i.e. CDMA) compatible iPhone by this June/July, but whether or not their exclusivity with AT&T will be over by then, and whether or not they can come to financial (subsidy) terms with Verizon is anyone’s guess.

Also, Misek no doubt means G4, as in 4th gen iPhone, not 4G as in 4G wireless, LTE networking, since he later states he only thinks we’ll see an LTE iPhone in 2011. And if iPhone 4.0 is “released” it will likely be a beta for developers, with the consumer “release” to follow a few months later as it has in years past.

So, anyone placing odds on a big, red iPhone next week?

[CNN/Fortune thanks Michael for the tip!]

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

Apple Announces Event, Verizon iPhone Rumors Follow

When Dieter swoon-ishly told me the Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset [$89.95 - TiPb Store link] was his new daily driver, I knew I had to try it out — the man is the definition of super-user. And the H17 didn’t disappoint. It’s my new daily driver as well. What makes it a go-to headset? A combination of form-factor and feature sets, and we’ll look at both after the break…

Packed

First, a word on packaging. Motorola has been paying attention to the Apple-inspired renaissance in packaging and it shows. The H17, like the rest of their current line up, isn’t so much boxed as it is displayed in a rounded metallic box with glass windowed display, the headset purchased atop an translucent stand.

You have to turn the plastic cap at the top with a coin and remove it, then pop off the front panel and carefully pull out the headset, but it works as an experience. Hidden away inside is a box with the extras — AC charger and manual.

Oh, the slogan on the box? “Flipping brilliant”. And it is.

Form Factored

I’ve always like the Motorola flip form factor but I’ve not always been wild about the rest of the headset design. Sometimes they’re big and unwieldy or just make you look like you’re wearing a weird, glowing space saucer on your ear.

The H17 gets it right. It looks professional. Small and darkly understated, it fits well and does its job. You extend the flip — like a mini mic boom — to turn it on or take a call, and you fold it back closed to end the call and/or put it on standby.

If you’ve read my previous reviews, you know my ears have been mashed by years of grappling, so I have a lot of trouble finding headsets that will stay where I put them. The ear loop on the H17 accomplishes that fine. I wear glasses as well, so after a while I do notice the extra loop is there, but even after a few hours it’s not uncomfortable enough to make me take it off (the headset, not the ear!). And did I mention it stays in place, where I put it?

There’s a simple, exposed micro-USB port for charging, which I prefer over the sometimes finicky flap covers on other headsets, a big call button on the back, and slim, chromed volume buttons along the top trim.

That’s it. No muss, no fuss. If Moto were to adopt this design line-wide, they’d get no complaints from me.

Feature Fun

One of the great things about the H17 — and something we’re seeing on more and more headsets lately — is the ability to pair with multiple phones. I could pair with both my iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G with no problem. If you have an iPhone and BlackBerry/Android/Palm/etc. you can carry both in your pockets and not need a headset on each ear. Or you and your significant other could share one headset between both your iPhones. You get the idea. For gadget lovers in particular, this is a great addition.

It also works well with the iPhone 3GS’ Voice Control. Just tap the big button on the back, Voice Control pops up and, via the H17, gives you the tone to signal it’s ready. Just say who you want to call and what number — Rene Ritchie, Mobile — and the call is placed.

Specs quote 5 hours talk time, 7 days standby. I think I’m getting slightly more than that, but I primarily use it while commuting so I talk less and standby more than others might.

When I did talk, call quality was good for BT and the people on the other end could hear me even with the window down and a good bit of traffic and wind.

Conclusion

Motorola positions the H17 in the mid-range, lower than the Endeavor HX1 yet slightly higher than something like the H720 (and its predecessors). While I like the bone-conduction in the HX1 (and am in the midst of reviewing it now), the total package (i.e. design) of the H17 is hard to beat.

You can get the Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset for iPhone now for $89.95 (10% off) at the TiPb iPhone Accessory store.

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

Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset for iPhone

WhiteHouse.gov, internet home of the US Executive branch of government, has announced their new iPhone and iPod touch app, available now from the iTunes App Store [Free - iTunes link]

The White House App delivers dynamic content from WhiteHouse.gov to the palm of your hand. One feature that stands out is live video streaming. Now anyone with this app can watch the President's public events at the White House, frequent web chats with Administration officials, and other events like key speeches and press briefings in real time. In fact, the President's State of the Union speech next week is a great example.

TechCrunch adds this important tip (and the screenshots above):

One thing: check the name of the app to make sure you download the official one when you search from your phone. Hint: it's the one you don't have to pay for.

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

WhiteHouse.gov App Hits iPhone, Will Provide State of the Union Streaming

Business Insider is reporting that, given Google’s new rise to smartphone rival, Apple is now in talks with previous-generation frenemy Microsoft to replace the iPhone’s default search engine with Bing.

“Apple and Google know the other is their primary enemy,” says one of the people, who’s familiar with Apple’s thinking. “Microsoft is now a pawn in that battle.” Apple is also working on ways to manage ad placement on its mobile devices, a move that would encroach on Google’s ad-serving business, the person says.

The iPhone is a monster on the mobile internet, and default search engine status is worth monstrous amounts of cash to those who get to serve ads along with the results. But let’s slow down a moment here…

First, they’re basing this on the usual anonymous sources which could be right, wrong, or trying to manipulate the Apple/Google/Microsoft situation by “leaking” this. Hey, we’ve seen that happen when Apple negotiates with carriers. Second, Business Week further states the deal could still fly apart, or could take a long time to be reached. Third, right now Google is the default search engine on the iPhone but users can still switch to Yahoo!, so if Bing gets added to that list, even if it becomes the default, presumably users could still switch to Google (or Yahoo!… or is that already Bing?). And then there’s the nu-cu-lar option:

The person familiar with Apple’s thinking says Apple has a “skunk works” looking at a search offering of its own, and believes that “if Apple does do a search deal with Microsoft, it’s about buying itself time.” Given the importance of search and its tie to mobile advertising—and the iPhone maker’s desire to slow Google—”Apple isn’t going to outsource the future.”

Likely why they wanted to buy AdMob and ended up buying Quattro Wireless, and why Steve Jobs wants to get involved with mobile advertising.

What would happen to other Google-powered service apps like Maps isn’t discussed (though Apple has bought PlaceBase for map data layering). However, this just further shows what TiPb has been saying for a while now — Apple believes the UI is the application for the user, and controlling the UI means they can swap out the pipes in the background (swap out Google Search, swap in Bing Search) without much problem (as long as the new pipe produces good, visually non-jarring results). When a huge competitor like Google tries to control the interface, like with a Google Voice app, then Apple has a problem because they can’t swap Google out with Microsoft Voice (or whatever), but a user can ditch the iPhone hardware for an Android device and be perfectly familiar with that UI front end.

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

Apple and Microsoft in Discussions to Oust Google, Make Bing Default iPhone Search Engine

MacRumors, who originally dug up Apple’s involvement with the iSlate and iGuide names, has come across a trademark filing that suggests iPad may now be in the lead:

A search in the Canadian trademark database reveals that Apple’s dummy corporation Slate Computing, LLC also applied for a trademark for “iPad” under the categories of handheld mobile digital electronic devices with a broad range of applications. This application was filed in July 2009 — much more recently than the original iSlate trademarks which date back to 2006-2007. Slate Computing, LLC did not apply for a similar trademark in the U.S. due to the fact that Fujitsu appears to control the U.S. trademark as it relates to handheld computing. Of course, this didn’t stop Apple from using the iPhone name despite it being owned by Cisco in the U.S. at the time of the iPhone’s launch.

International filings also exist, though under the name IP Application Development, which thus far can’t be linked back to Apple.

So, iTablet, iSlate, iPad, does it matter to you what Apple calls their new mega-iPhone, as long as they don’t call it delayed for the Jan. 27 “Come see our latest creation” event? Right? Right? Sigh.

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

Could the iTablet/iSlate be Called the iPad?