After 10 long, long months Bloomberg says Apple will finally — finally — be ready to ship the near mythical white iPhone 4 in just a few short weeks. Phew!

The new version will be available from AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless by the end of April, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren't public. The release was stalled as Apple resolved manufacturing challenges, including paint that peeled under heat, one person said.

The white iPhone 4 suffered delay after delay until Apple pushed it back all the way to “spring”. Lots of different theories circulated as to what was causing the problem, including the white color messing up the proximity sensor, the flash, and other issues. Further rumors suggested Apple even switched painting processes to help fix the problem

So who will be crying unicorn tears as they pick up this baby? Or is it too little color, too late in the product life cycle?

And who thinks Apple releasing the white iPhone 4 now helps fill the void left by rumors of iPhone 5 only coming in the fall?

[Bloomberg, image shows Leanna's aftermarket white iPhone 4 conversion]

White iPhone 4 shipping in the next few weeks? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Nilay Patel, formerly of Engadget writes on his personal blog that, according to Steven Levy’s new book, The Plex, after believing Google copied the iPhone with Android, they hid iPad development from Google CEO and former Apple board member Eric Schmidt.

The acrimony was so deep, we're told, that Jobs kept the iPad a secret from Eric Schmidt even though Schmidt was still on Apple's board of directors while it was being developed. (Schmidt would later step down, of course.) It's juicy stuff, and it nicely feeds right into the current iOS vs. Android narrative of the day.

Prior to the iPhone’s introduction, Android more closely copied the BlackBerry or Windows Mobile Standard look and front-facing QWERTY feel but by the time it launched, post-iPhone, it was a full screen capacitive touch device. What’s not clear is that Apple began work on iPad (reportedly as Safari Pad) prior to iPhone before deciding a smartphone was the better product to introduce first. If Eric Schmidt was in on iPhone, how could he have not been briefed on the Safari Pad/iPad that preceded it?

Patel also delves into the “murky” issues surrounding Google’s strange journey towards multitouch support:

• Did the first build of Android Steve Jobs saw actually have multitouch frameworks and pinch-to-zoom? The answer, according to Levy, is yes.1

• What happened during the development of Android 2.0 and the original Droid that made Google think shipping multitouch frameworks was okay?

• Similarly, what happened on or around February 2010 that made Google decide that shipping pinch-to-zoom in Android was okay? Did Andy Rubin suddenly decide that using a phone with two hands was cool, or was there a legal reason?

Interesting stuff to say the least. Maybe Steven Levy could write a sequel called “The *Droid”?

[Nilay Patel]

Apple hid iPad from Google’s Eric Schmidt? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

iPhone Live! podcast is tonight people and we want you to show up and chat with us!

Time: 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST!

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

(You can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

If you have any questions or stuff you want us to make sure we cover tweet them to @TiPb, email them to podcast@tipb.com, or leave them in the comments below!

Be there!

iPhone Live podcast tonight at 9pm EDT, come chat! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Tapbots, one of the most innovative, user experience-oriented iPhone app developers, has released Tweetbot for iPhone. Tweetbot is a Twitter client with personality and Tapbots claims:

Whether it's the meticulously-crafted interface, sounds & animation, or features like multiple timelines & smart gestures, there's a lot to love about Tweetbot.

• Multiple Timelines. Quickly switch between your lists as your main timeline.
• Smart Gestures. Use Twitter more efficiently with time-saving and configurable gestures.
• Customizable Navigation. The last 2 tabs are customizable and unused tabs are easily accessible.
• Support for multiple services like Read it Later, Instapaper, Cloudapp URL Shortening.
• Push Notifications via Boxcar.
• Save drafts, add locations and POI’s, attach photos and videos, manage your lists, and much more.

Tweetbot is still rolling out to all countries and we’re anxiously waiting to download it. It’s currently available in the New Zealand App Store but should start showing up internationally soon. Has it hit your local store yet? Let know when it does and what you think!

[iTunes link, thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Tweetbot for iPhone begins hitting App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Magic Puzzles: Solve colorful graphic puzzles using classically shaped jigsaw puzzle pieces with Seven Wonders Puzzles. [Free - iTunes link]

• RoboForm: Allows access to data files created and used on your Desktop, Laptop, or USB Drive, all using the RoboForm Online service, that provides up to date copies of your files. [Free - iTunes link]

• Submerged: Ever wished your camera could distort reality, just a little? Now you can take your iPhone or iPad deep underwater — and you won’t void the warranty! [$0.99 - iTunes link]

• Simple Check: A simple app to track your spending. It focuses on one thing and one thing only, how much money is in your account. [Free - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Wednesday, April 13 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

PatentlyApple has uncovered some interesting patent applications from Apple involving new multitouch gestures and smart bezels aimed at making interaction more simple and gestures more memorable.

Apple’s patent introduces us to mid-drag gestures, microgestures within gestures, and other gesture modification motions performed contiguously within an overall gesture (i.e., without losing contact with the touch-sensitive input surface during the gesture) to provide intuitive ways to interact with a user interface for varying purposes, such as modifying user interface behaviors, changing optionally displayed items, etc.

Apple states that the use of mid-drag gestures reduces the cognitive burden on a user, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user to use mid-drag gestures allows for faster and more efficient use of user interfaces, thereby conserving power and increasing the time between battery charges.

Apple did enable some additional multitouch gestures in the beta of iOS 4, but they never made it to the final release. If you are a registered developer they can still be enabled.

The illuminated smart bezel would allow some controls to be moved off the display, so fingers no longer cover areas of the screen. Parts of the bezel could illuminate indicating control regions for starting and stopping media, navigating maps, playing games, etc. While Palm has used a gesture region since the introduction of the Pre and RIM will be using a 1-pixel wide screen border to detect gestures coming off the bezel, and illuminated bezel would offer better orientation for users and the possibility of more dynamic and flexible interactions.

Of course just because Apple patents something is no indication we’ll see them in real world software or hardware any time soon, though wouldn’t they be interesting in iOS 5 and iPhone 5?

[Patently Apple, x2]

Apple working on new multitouch gestures for iOS 5, illuminated smart bezel for iPhone 5? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Rovio Mobile is working on a way to sync game positions in Angry Birds across multiple devices. We don't know at this stage if this sync will be limited to just iOS devices or across all devices that have access to Angry Birds, including other smartphones, tablets, and the version sold in the Mac App Store. Either way it would be a great help for those of us that play the game on iPhone and iPad but don't want to repeat levels; or be at different stages of the game.

Rovio Mobile is also planning an Easter update for Angry Birds Seasons. Not much detail but it promises lots of great new stuff in the update!

[Rovio Mobile Twitter via The Appera]

Angry Birds to get cross device game sync features by the summer, new Easter update coming for Angry Birds Seasons. is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Seen some upside down text in an SMS, on Twitter or Facebook, or somewhere else on the web and curious how you can write upside down as well? After our right justify tip the other day we got several requests for this, so follow on past the break and we’ll show you how!

Inserting upside down text into an SMS message, Twitter or Facebook status, email, or anything else on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, is as simple as typing, copying and pasting.

1. Go to a website like fliptext.net [web link] that will convert the text for you
2. Enter the text you want to convert to upside down
3. Highlight the upside down text and copy it
4. Go to your SMS message, Twitter or Facebook field, email, etc. and paste your upside down text into the field
5. Send your upside down text

That’s it! If you have any other cool text tips, let us know in the comments!

Bonus Tip: Since this is web based, you can use it on your Mac or Windows PC, or any other device.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Daily Tip: How to write upside uʍop on iPhone, iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Facebook has made some backend changes that allow users to ‘like’ comments from stories in their news feed. This has been a much-requested feature from Facebook users and, unfortunately, Facebook has only half-delivered.

As you can see from the screenshots above, comments are only “likeable” when viewing from the news feed. If you access comments from anywhere else, say notifications or a friend’s profile page, you cannot ‘like’ them.

Who’s excited about this feature and can’t wait for it to be app wide?

Facebook for iPhone allows ‘liking’ comments… sometimes is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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