You know the drill, come 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST, we’ll be live over at:

http://live.tipb.com/live/

We’ll be discussing Steve Jobs’ surprise appearance on the Apple Q4 conference call, what he said about BlackBerry and Android, and Apple’s Back to the Mac event. Be there, and be ready to chat. We want to hear from you.

iPhone live tonight, 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

A new reports suggest that 54% of all video online is now HTML5 compatible (mostly H.264), which means it’s iPad, iPhone and iPod touch compatible as well. Here are some of the discoveries from MeFeedia:

• 54% of web video is now available for playback in HTML5, with H.264 being the dominant video format. Mobile is driving HTML5 video adoption. HTML5 video is the most common format for mobiles, including iPhone and iPad.
• Publishers and platforms now offer iframe embeds, allowing them to switch players dynamically depending on the access device.
• Alongside mobile growth, we expect that most video sites will follow this trend.

This is awesome news for iOS users, and signals a dramatic shift in online video playback from just 10% penetration in January of this year. Looking at the numbers a bit further, HTML5 video has more than doubled in numbers since May at just 26%, and further suggests a rapidly growing trend of major online outlets integrating HTML5 video into their sites.

Although Flash is still the dominant video playback method, could HTML5 video soon be overtaking Adobe in the streaming video space, and will it be driven mostly by iOS devices? Daring Fireball points to an interview between Robert Scoble and Starbucks CIO Stephen Gillett, where Starbucks chose to go HTML5 rather than Flash simply to support iOS devices.

Does knowing this make you miss Flash on the iPhone any less, or do you still want your Flash video and want it now?

[MeFeedia]

by Andrew Wray

iPhone, iPad friendly HTML 5 video penetration hits 54% is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

In the past Cydia has given the option to “Make my life easier” which automatically saved SHSH blobs on the Cydia server, but since the release of limera1n and greenpois0n, this option has disappeared and your saved SHSH blobs are not shown on the Cydia front page. The Cydia server is still up and running, and any SHSH blob that you saved previously is still saved. Also TinyUmbrella, which uses the Cydia server, still works perfectly and should be used to make sure your 4.1 SHSH blobs have been saved.

My guess is that with the huge flood of jailbreaks and Cydia downloads during the past couple weeks, Saurik decided to turn this feature off for the time being in order to save bandwidth. Fear not, your blobs are still safe and this feature should return soon…

[TinyUmbrella, image via ipodtouchfans]

by Farbod

Cydia no longer giving new users the option to save SHSH blobs [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Is Apple about to take carrier disintermediation to the next level by contracting their own, built-in SIM card for future iPhones? GigaOm thinks so:

Sources inside European carriers have reported that Apple has been working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow consumers in Europe to buy a phone via the web or at the Apple Store and get the phones working using Apple's App Store.

Right now, even with unlocked iPhones and iPads, you still need to get a carrier-specific SIM card. If the SIM were embedded, however, that’s one less carrier interaction to worry about. The entire process could be shifted to the device, much as plan management is already done on the iPad.

The Gemalto SIM, according to my sources, is embedded in a chip that has an upgradeable flash component and a ROM area. The ROM area contains data provided by Gemalto with everything related to IT and network security, except for the carrier-related information. The flash component will receive the carrier related data via a local connection which could be the PC or a dedicated device, so it can be activated on the network. Gemalto will provide the back-end infrastructure that allows service and number provisioning on the carrier network.

Would it present a problem for multi-device power users accustomed to swapping SIMs between iPhone, Android, webOS, and other handsets? Hopefully not. They’d still have to get a SIM from their carrier, same as now. They just wouldn’t have to worry about swapping their iPhone anymore.

What do yo think? Want?

[GigaOM]

Apple making custom, built-in SIM for future iPhone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Building on yesterday’s story of Apple announcing they wouldn’t be releasing the white iPhone 4 until Spring 2011 comes new rumors that they’ve cancelled the phantom shade indefinitely, and will not be making it available whatsoever.  BGR reports:

According to a previous source of ours, we have been told that Apple in fact has no plans to release the white model iPhone 4.

With all of the mixed reports we’ve been seeing on the white iPhone lately, we don’t know what to believe anymore.  It’s possible that, due to the timeline and events played out so far, Apple may just wait until the iPhone 5 is released in summer 2011 before officially bringing the white iPhone to the table.  

What do you think? Will we ever see it? Do you even care anymore?  Sound off in the comments below!

[BGR]

by Andrew Wray

Rumor: White iPhone 4 just never going to ship? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Google has added iPhone app search to their mobile interface. Just tap “more” and the drop down menu now includes “iPhone apps”. A search will display apps with their icons, price, star rating, and part of a review. Tapping on one brings you to that app in the App Store. Basically, Google has provided an alternate way to search for iPhone apps – and it’s good.

Anyone planning to search for iPhone apps with Google instead of the App Store itself?

[Gizmodo]

Google adds iPhone app search is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Case-Mate Ivy Case for iPhone 4 is a really beautiful case and I just love the decor. Yes, I choose this case solely on its looks but I was surprised that it packs quite a nice buffer against bumps as well.

Stay with us after the break for more on this stunning case!

The filigree design really caught my eye and I knew the Case-Mate Ivy Case would be the next case I’d get. It has a very different feel than any other case I have reviewed, almost like really dense foam. The case itself does not cover the front glass offering full access to the screen, but it comes with a screen protector that you can place on the glass to prevent scratches. The filigree décor is embossed and soft to touch but is also practical. It makes the case easier to hold and offers extra protection for your iPhone as well.

Overall, the Case-Mate Ivy Case is very easy to put on you iPhone and quite secure when in place (nothing is as annoying as a case that lets your iPhone4 wiggle around!) It comes in two different colors, black on white as shown in the video above and gallery below, as well as pink on whit.

The Case-Mate Ivy Case for iPhone 4 is just beautiful looking and is available now from the TiPb iPhone 4 accessory store.

Pros

• Very stylish
• Protection
• Slip resistant for holding
• Screen Protector included

Cons

• Edges are a bit unfinished
• Slightly larger than a feather case

Rating

Case-Mate Ivy Case for iPhone 4 [Accessory review] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Apple has launched their online store for China, a streamlined store that includes the iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac product lines. The store also includes free shipping, an option for custom engravings on your iPod or iPad, and it is also the only place online where you can currently grab the iPod Nano in the (PRODUCT RED) variant. From Apple COO Tim Cook:

We are thrilled to open our newest online store in China. With personalized engraving, configure-to-order options and free shipping on everything, the Apple Store is a great destination for our customers in China.

To top it off, Apple has made their App Store available in Simplified Chinese, making it easier for citizens of China to access the 300,000+ apps available for the iPhone and iPod touch (or at least as many of them as are offered in China).

Slowly but surely, Apple is extending their offerings throughout Asia, one of the biggest consumer electronic markets on the planet, and should have 25 more retail stores in China by the end of 2011.

But in the land of cheap-as-in-unlicensed Windows PC and Android variants we’ve never heard of, will it be enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

[Apple]

by Andrew Wray

Apple opens online store for China is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

MusicDog, a completely free music streaming app, is now available via Cydia. Version 1.3 only works on iOS 4.x. and features include:

• Multitasking support
• A growing library with over 100,000+ tracks that can be searched and bookmarked
• Album Art
• “What’s Hot” and “Recently Added” lists
• iPod and remote headset control

The app requires you to make an account by adding an email address and password before you are ready to go.

Along with GrooveShark, MusicDog adds to the growing number of streaming services available only though Jailbreak. Do these types of services make you more likely to Jailbreak your iPhone? Does it put pressure on Apple to get their own iTunes streaming service off the ground? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or discuss it in our brand new Jailbreak Apps Forum!

by Farbod

MusicDog for iPhone brings free streaming music app to Cydia [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Amazon has released Windowshop for iPad. If you use Amazon as frequently as I do, you may already realize that the current iPhone and iPad offerings are pretty grim.  I’ve never been a huge fan of the Amazon app as it seems to just be a mobile version of the site shoved into an app.  Windowshop seems to bridge that gap quite nicely on the iPad and it’s now available in the App Store as a free download.

It does an extremely nice job of separating categories and allowing you to quickly switch between them.  To me, this is a lot less tedious compared to weeding through search results and refining them.  Your categories will simply appear at the top and you’ll be presented with columns of search results.  From there, you can simply pick the best category at the top that best suits what you’re looking for and just search within that section.  If they could make a scaled down version of this for the iPhone as well, I’d be all set!  Pick it up and give it a shot, and of course, let us know what you think!

[iTunes Link]

Amazon releases Windowshop for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog