Note to other open-source projects: “Abstract” worked for Picasso. It won’t for you.

Perhaps the lesson in both Linspire and Chandler is just how hard it is to build a strong consumer-facing business. For those who pooh-pooh Microsoft’s success as “mere marketing” I have a suggestion: You need to get into this “mere marketing” business. It has a way of driving adoption. It matters.

Of perhaps more note is the fact that the Open Source Applications Foundation finally released version 1.0 of its Chandler program. Glyn Moody tries to put a happy face on the release, but the fact is that it’s several years too late. It was a good idea back when it was launched but, as Glyn writes, as a “very definite, but *abstract*, idea” it failed miserably.

commentary

And, of course, George W. Bush to LeBron James: “Imagine you are being chased by Dick with a gun.”

So the Chancellor could not be sure that her charges, in a state of heightened nervousness, had not succumbed to the delights of Viennese night life and, in their unreplied confusion, tried to gore barhoppers like rabid bulls while calling them girls.

Yet, to the surprise of a Chancellor who seemed swollen with a frustration not seen since David Hasselhoff rose to the top of the German recording charts, Germany’s game suddenly resembled a cement pancake.

Then the tracking tool went haywire too.

The Twitter reply facility was, unfortunately, down at these moments.

Which, if the evidence of the games is anything to go by, must have gone along the lines of “Kick that Portuguese pillock up the rear end.”

British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to his 400-meter relay team: “Imagine you are being chased by Margaret Thatcher.”

The word spread quickly that in order to get fuller, quicker and more interactive expert instructions to more of the players, the Chancellor had decided to use Twitter rather than ancien regime SMS.

Expressing her obviously heartfelt enthusiasm for the German team (and not her need to get re-elected next year), she began to text them.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy to one of his male sprinters, for example: “Imagine you are chasing Carla..”

(Fernando Torres, the Spanish striker, tends to wear a rather effeminate headband during games.)

Their opponents were the Spanish, each of whom was a Verne Troyer to the Germans’ Dwayne Johnson.

Next, she suggested “Tell Torres he’s a girl.”

And “A girl? You sure? Chancellor, you are a girl too.”

Or, indeed, a Verne Troyer to any of Verne’s passionate lovers.

(Credit:
Orin Optiglot)

So, with the moisture from the Chancellor’s technological sweet talk still wetting their earlobes, the Germans marched all the way to the Final.

Initially, her instructions were getting through.

However, the players needed clearer instructions.

Naturally, the Germans were favorites.

This woman is faking. She is not, however, a politician.

The texts were not merely expressions of positive fortune and celestial speed.

In any case, this was a humungous loss for both Germany and technology.

Or, perhaps, “We’re playing the Turks. Annoy them by telling them about your fabulous Greek holiday.”

I know that there were several Heads of State who were looking to the German Chancellor’s initiative to help their own countrymen succeed in the forthcoming Olympics.

According to her favorite player, the suspiciously and excessively blond Bastian Schweisteiger, she weighed in with tactical suggestions.

Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, really wanted her national soccer team to win the 2008 European Football Championships, which concluded today in Vienna.

The squad’s adrenalin was pumping at the suggestion that they should “gore those Spaniards like a rabid bull.”

A transmission error by Broadridge Financial Services affected the withhold tally, lopping off any withhold votes beyond 100 million in some particular circumstances. Broadridge transmitted to Yahoo results from Capital Research Global Investors, which owns 6.2 percent of Yahoo stock at last count, and its sister group Capital World Investors, which owns 9.85 percent of Yahoo shares.

Shareholders unhappy with board members withheld their votes in the Friday election. In Yahoo’s official voting tally released Friday, 14.6 percent of votes for Yang and 20.5 percent for Bostock were withheld.

The shareholder approval ratings for Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang and Roy Bostock plunged Tuesday after Yahoo released new results that corrected a vote transmission error.

Update 2:23 p.m.: It’s not hard to figure out why shareholders might be upset with the company, which is in the midst of a turnaround effort that began in 2007 and will last through 2008.

• Gary L. Wilson, 27.7 percent, up from 18.2 percent

Since February, Yahoo’s share price rose from $19.18 to the $30 range when Microsoft attempted to acquire first Yahoo then later just its search assets.

Update 2:09 p.m. PDT: Quantitatively, the change means nothing: “These errors did not affect the outcome of the election of directors,” Yahoo said.

But qualitatively, it’s a different story, because withhold votes do send a message even if the board was still re-elected. The disapproval has dropped down to the range of last year’s meeting, a few days after which former Chief Executive Terry Semel lost his job.

But in the corrected results, Yang’s withhold percentage rose to 33.7 percent and Bostock’s to 39.6 percent, Yahoo said.

Arthur Kern, Ronald Burkle, and Gary Wilson also saw a big jump in the percentage of votes withheld. Here’s how the withhold-vote percentages changed for the various board members from Friday’s tally to the Tuesday’s revised results:

• Ronald Burkle, 37.9 percent, up from 18.8 percent

(Credit:
Yahoo)

• Arthur Kern, 31.7 percent, up from 22.1 percent

With those deals dead, for now at least, Yahoo’s shares have sunk back down. The company’s stock closed at $19.82 on Tuesday and dropped a few cents in after-hours trading.

• Eric Hippeau, 9.3 percent, no change

• Jerry Yang, 33.7 percent, up from 14.6 percent.

• Roy J. Bostock, 39.6 percent, up from 20.5 percent

• Mary Agnes Wilderotter, 7.8 percent, no change

• Vyomesh Joshi, 7.1 percent, no change

That’s the question some music artists are asking, according to a story that appeared Wednesday in The New York Post.

“The labels are always going to try to hide the money or use some self-serving formula when they finally get around to paying the artists.” –Jay Rosenthal, counsel for Recording Artists Coalition

The Post quoted two talent managers who said that artists have yet to see their cut of the Napster-Kazaa settlements. This isn’t pocket change we’re talking here. Napster paid $270 million to settle its copyright infringement case and Kazaa forked over $100 million. Some on the talent side suspect the top four record companies of foot dragging or playing “hide and seek” with the cash.

But a source within the music industry said that the talent managers aren’t looking at the realities.

“The lawyers get their cut first,” said the source. “Then the money has to be split among hundreds of different artists at each of the labels.”

“If anything has been paid so far, it has been minimal,” Rosenthal said. “The labels are always going to try to hide the money or use some self-serving formula when they finally get around to paying the artists.”

Warner’s share from Napster was $110 million, according to documents it filed with the government last April. Warner said at the time that “we will be sharing (the money) with our artists and songwriters.”

So what happened to all the settlement money that Napster and Kazaa were forced to pay the record labels?

Representatives from EMI and Universal Music Group say they also intend to share the settlement with artists. Sony BMG Music Entertainment was a financial backer of Napster and ended up paying big money to the other three music companies. Sony BMG did, however, receive a share of the Kazaa settlement.

After all is said in done, according to the source, the process takes a long time and “nobody gets rich from this.”

In June, Warner received an additional $52 million related to the legal cases, according to the documents. The label issued this statement on Thursday: “WMG is sharing the Napster settlement with its recording artists and songwriters and at this stage nearly all settlement monies have been disbursed.”

Jay Rosenthal, legal counsel for the Recording Artists Coalition, a group representing the interests of music artists said that the labels have told him that they are trying to decide how to divvy up the money and have been sending payments for a while. He’s skeptical to say the least.

But for its part, Warner Music Group says it isn’t playing games.

Rosenthal said he has heard all this before.

“The (labels) are certainly going to claim that the legal costs have eaten up the proceeds,” Rosenthal said. “But I don’t believe that is the case.”

First, who could deny that the Napster and Kazaa cases, which lasted years, didn’t run up massive legal bills, the source asked. Also consider the “inordinate amount of time” it takes to collect the money and figure out which artist’s music was infringed, the source said. He added that the labels must split the money between scores of performers.

Maybe the upcoming release of Research In Motion’s highly anticipated Bold will inspire the artist, whose Etsy handle is picnicbybarbfeldman, to pound out some more. She has been working with Fimo since 1971 and says she can make the earrings even tinier than the ones pictured–as studs about three-eighths of an inch wide and a half an inch high. Um, talk about BlackBerry thumb!

And there’s no need to fear added radiation from these BlackBerrys. The earrings, which measure about three-quarters of an inch high–are made from Fimo, a polymer clay. They were selling for $3 (plus shipping) on Etsy, an online market for homemade goods, but they’re sold out now.

Thanks to Popgadget for ringing us up on this one.

In your face, iPhone! CrackBerry addicts now have a new way to show their loyalty to the smartphone–by dangling tiny versions from their ears.

(Credit:
Lexmark)

Find more deals, coupon codes, and bargains on CNET’s Shopper.com.

The printer relies solely on tri-color ink cartridges (which run about $21 apiece), so don’t expect great black output. You’ll also need to BYO USB cable. But if you have modest print, scan, and/or copy needs, good luck finding a better deal on an all-in-one. (FWIW, Wal-Mart shoppers rated it 4 stars out of 5.)

The X3430 combines a tri-color inkjet printer with a flatbed scanner and copier. It can churn out documents at up to 17 pages per minute (according to Lexmark) and scan to PDF or OCR. It prints 4×6-inch borderless photos and includes slots for most kinds of memory cards. It also has a basic control panel, something the HP lacks.

Jennipher Dickens, who founded a nonprofit organization in 2007 after her son Christopher was injured from being shaken by his father, brought the new application to our attention after reading about it on Krapps, an iPhone application review site. I downloaded it from the App Store this morning to verify it existed and worked as described.

If you needed any further proof that Apple’s App Store approval process is horrifyingly out of whack, consider one of the latest additions to the App Store: Baby Shaker.

A company called Sikalosoft is currently selling a $0.99
iPhone application called Baby Shaker, as of Monday. The object of Baby Shaker is to stop the incessant crying of an infant pictured on screen by violently shaking the iPhone, at which point two red “x” marks appear over the baby’s eyes. “See how long you can endure his or her adorable cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!” reads the sales pitch for Baby Shaker.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Tom Krazit/CNET)

A successful game of Baby Shaker, now available on the App Store.

You are not allowed to develop applications that could potentially harm existing or future Apple businesses.

You are allowed to simulate infanticide.

When the App Store was first announced in March 2008, Apple said it would vet every single application submitted to the App Store and approve or reject applications based on its internal standards. So, as Apple approaches the one billionth download of App Store applications, let’s review what Apple has decided you’re allowed to do, and what you’re not allowed to do, with iPhone applications.

Apple representatives did not respond to requests for comment on Baby Shaker.

You are allowed to develop applications that break App Store rules if you work for one of the most important companies on the planet, whose CEO happens to sit on Apple’s board of directors.

You are not allowed to have swear words in your application.

Updated 1:25 p.m.: Apple has pulled Baby Shaker from the App Store.

T-Mobile G1

As for Google Maps, it will support Google Maps Street View, which lets you explore cities at the street-level as if you were right there on the corner. It will also have a built-in compass on the phone and allow you to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by moving the phone around. The aforementioned Amazon MP3 store is also a huge boon for the T-Mobile G1, as all of the songs on Amazon are DRM-free, and you can buy and download the song directly from the store to the device (only if you have a Wi-Fi connection though; you can search, sample, and buy with a cellular connection however). A song is $0.89, while an album is anywhere from $5.99 to $9.99.

Without further ado, here are the features: Wi-Fi, 3G (with dual-band UMTS), multimedia messaging, e-mail support (Gmail as well as other POP3 and IMAP e-mail services), instant messaging (with Google Talk as an option of course), a full HTML browser, GPS functionality, a 3-megapixel camera, the ability to multitask, a music player with access to the Amazon MP3 store, Bluetooth, and quad-band GSM support. Another very exciting feature (in my opinion) is it has one-click contextual search, which lets you search for anything simply by typing in something with the keyboard. This is very similar to the search feature on the Helio Ocean, in that it can search your contacts as well as the Web just by tapping in a few letters.

T-Mobile and Google just announced the first-ever handset with the new Google Android operating system. Called the T-Mobile G1, it has both full touch-screen functionality, a QWERTY keyboard, a trackball for one-handed navigation, plus access to mobile Web applications like Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube, and more. The G1 is available for pre-order now in the U.S. in limited quantities at T-MobileG1 if you’re an existing T-Mobile customer. It will be available in retail stores beginning October 22, for $179 with a two-year voice and data agreement. As for our European brethren, it will be available in the U.K. beginning November and across Europe in early 2009.

Last but not least, the G1 will offer access to the Android Market, which is an application store similar to the iTunes App Store. Some of the available applications include ShopSavvy, an application that lets you scan the UPC code of a product with the phone’s camera and instantly compare prices with other stores; Ecorio, an application that tracks your carbon footprint; and BreadCrumbz, an application that lets you create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Of course, you can also buy games like Namco’s Pac-Man.

It’s important to note that the T-Mobile G1 won’t have Microsoft Exchange support right off the bat, though its open-source infrastructure means that can be easily remedied with a third-party application (according to Google anyway). Also, Gmail is available as push and yes, you can use it to read MS Office documents and PDFs. There is no stereo Bluetooth, and you can’t use it as a tethered modem. And no surprise here, the G1 is SIM locked to T-Mobile for the time being, though I expect there will be efforts to unlock it.

Click here for full coverage of Google Android.

A: It is possible that T-Mobile could carry the phone here in the United States but it won’t happen for a couple of years at least. Though it’s largely believed that AT&T has a lock on the iPhone until 2012, other reports say its hold will end in 2010.

Q: I heard Hong Kong is going to sell a unlocked iPhone 3G. Will it work in every country that will get the iPhone? Would AT&T provide service for it? Thanks!
- Henry

Q: Is it possible that the iPhone 3G could be ready for AT&T’s Mobile TV service? Or would it need something like an external antenna?
- Aaron

A: If you use an unlocked iPhone with T-Mobile in the Unites States you won’t lose EDGE access, but you will be unable to use the phone’s 3G features. As you said, you’ll lose visual voice mail as well, but otherwise the phone will work fine otherwise. Your 3G coverage overseas will depend on the local carrier, so you’ll need to do some research before you go.

A: That will depend on your company and its relationship with AT&T.

A: Actual storage capacity on the iPhone 3G will depend on a lot of things including what kind of files you’ve stored on the handset, the variety of file types and how much memory you’ve taken up with contacts, personal data and photos. Movies, of course, will take up a lot of room (about 1GB each) so your cinema time won’t be expansive on either model. With music tracks, however, you’ll have a lot more space. Though storage capacity will depend entirely on the bit rate of each song, a very rough estimate would be about 1,800 tracks on the 8GB iPhone. Then, working on that assumption, the 16GB model would hold about twice that amount.

After you leave the United States, you’ll be able to use it with an Indian carrier only if you unlock it from AT&T. That shouldn’t be hard to do, but you’ll also have to get an Indian carrier to support it. I’m not aware of the exact policies there. And lastly, AT&T and Apple have stopped selling the original iPhone. You can buy it, however, on eBay and from other third-party sources.

Q: What is the major difference, in storage, between the 8GB and 16GB?
- Leigh

A: AT&T hasn’t announced any changes to the international roaming plans for the iPhone. At present, two packages are available. For $24.99 per month you’ll get 20MB of free data in 41 countries, while $59.99 per month will get you 50MB of data. See the international roaming page AT&T’s Web site for the full details including a list of the 41 covered countries and any overage charges.

Q: I was wondering if I bought the first iPhone the first month it came out if I would get some kind of rebate on the iPhone 3G?
- Nick
A: As stated in our iPhone FAQ, only customers who bought the original iPhone after May 27 of this year will be eligible for a refund on the purchase price between their original iPhone and the iPhone 3G.

A: It makes no difference. Either way you’ll have to sign a new contract, so you might as well do it now. AT&T does not charge an early termination fee for current customers who end their contracts and start a new one.

A: No, he’ll need to sign a new contract if he wants to use your old iPhone. Fortunately, he can activate the handset and secure a contract through the iTunes online activation process, but the new service is necessary. He might also need a new SIM card, particularly if his current SIM is 3 years old, so he should check with AT&T.

Q: If you buy an iPhone 3G and (maybe after one month) terminate the AT&T contract, are you still able to use the GPS functionality?
- AJ

Q: What is the likelihood of T-Mobile carrying the iPhone without the added expense of having to buy it unlocked?
- Ryan

A: The $199 and $299 prices are available to new AT&T customers and current customers who are eligible for an upgrade. AT&T hasn’t clearly detailed its eligibility criteria; instead you’ll have to sign into your AT&T account online to see if you qualify or if you’ll have to pay the higher $399 or $499 prices. As for your Centro, you will get a refund if you return it, and you’ll pay the difference for whichever iPhone you buy. Just remember that you’ll have to sign a new contract.

A: The iPhone 3G should work with any Exchange Server e-mail system, so I imagine that you’ll have no trouble getting your college e-mail. Also, it’s important to note that Exchange e-mail access isn’t dependent on whether you have 3G or Wi-Fi. Rather, all you’ll need is a normal cell phone signal. Of course, Wi-Fi and 3G will deliver your e-mail faster, but they’re not necessary.

Kent German, CNET’s cell phones guru, answers your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories and reports on the state of the industry. Send him a question!. For past columns, check out the columns in the On Call archive

Q: I am from India and currently I am using a prepaid AT&T Go phone. I do not have credit history in the United States, so can I buy the iPhone 3G? Also, since I’m in the United States only until December, will I have to pay an early termination fee if I end my contract when I leave? Could I then use the phone in India? And can I still buy the original iPhone?
- Upneet

Q: Will I need the AT&T business data plan ($45) to sync with my exchange server and Outlook at work or can I do that with the personal data plan ($30)?
- Henry

A: If you became an AT&T customer a year ago, then I imagine that you would be eligible, but I suggest checking with AT&T just to make sure. Also, it shouldn’t matter that you no longer have a phone in your possession, just as long as you’ve kept your contract active.

Yet this brings up an important point. Though the original iPhone will get Exchange server support with the 2.0 software update, AT&T hasn’t said that users will have to change their data plans accordingly.

A: It’s difficult to say at this point. While technically, you should be able to use an unlocked iPhone 3G in any country where you ave a SIM card from a local carrier, some iPhone 3G carriers have said they won’t support prepaid service. AT&T won’t, for example, so you wouldn’t be able to use it here. I would do my homework before packing my suitcase.

A: Anyone can buy the iPhone, but as stated above your purchase price will depend on if you’re a new AT&T customer or an AT&T customer eligible for an upgrade. Check with AT&T to see if you’re eligible.

Q: I am planning on buying an unlocked iPhone 3G in Spain and using it with my T-Mobile SIM card. I understand that I will not have access to EDGE and will lose the visual voice mail feature as well. Would I lose anything else, and will I still be able to use the 3G overseas?
- Dr. Jazz

Q: I canceled my service with Verizon Wireless and changed it to AT&T for the iPhone 3G. Besides this being more expensive, I am wondering if this is the wisest of choices. Is the iPhone 3G worth the hassle?
- Jay

A: The iPhone wouldn’t need a new antenna to get AT&T Mobile TV, but it would need software inside the handset. I doubt we’ll see that added, though, as I imagine Apple would like to keep iTunes as the sole access point for media content.

Q: I am a new customer to AT&T. I signed my contract on June 23 and I have 30 days to switch in my Palm Centro for a different phone. The Centro is fine, but I’d rather have a 3G, Wi-Fi device like the iPhone 3G. Would I be able to trade in my new Palm Centro on July 11 without going through credit approval again, and would I receive the $199 price tag?
- Brian

A: Apple certainly could add a stereo Bluetooth profile with a software update, and I’m very hopeful they do so. I’m not so confident at this point but Apple could surprise us. We’ll have to wait and see.

Q: It’s finally time for me to upgrade from my old stone tablet phone to something of modern times. I am an Apple fanboy and I love the iPhone, but being a student there is no way I can afford a $70-a-month plan. I have access to Wi-Fi at my house and just about everywhere I frequent, and my city does not have 3G in any case. Can I buy an iPhone without a data plan?
- Kevin

Q: I plan on selling my friend my old iPhone. He already uses a Motorola Razr V3 with AT&T and his contract ended a year ago. Can he just continue his AT&T subscription and use my iPhone without signing a new contract?
- Mark

Q: Will the iPhone 3G be able to support the Microsoft Exchange server at my college? We don’t have 3G (I do get it home), but we have Wi-Fi. Would I still be able to get my Exchange e-mail through Wi-Fi?
- Brian

Q: I bought an original iPhone on launch day last year, and I plan on buying the new 3G iPhone. I have service through AT&T, but I sold my original iPhone in order to have some money to buy the new one. Am I eligible for the upgrade even if I don’t have the original phone in my possession?
- Michael

On the upside, you won’t be using data minutes to connect to hotspots and cell towers for GPS, so there’s no need to worry about using up your data balance. As a Canadian who’s subject to Rogers’ awful plans I can imagine why that’s a sore spot. Fortunately, Rogers has relented a little.

Do you want a piece of me?

A: Unfortunately, AT&T will not support the iPhone 3G on its Go phone prepaid service, so you will have to sign a contract to get it. With no credit history, that may be a little tricky for you, but I imagine that you’ll be able to work it out. But if you’re successful in securing a phone, you will have to pay an early termination fee if you cancel your contract in December. That part is not negotiable.

A data plan and an international calling plan are imperative if you are a globe-trotter, as you’ll save a bit of sticker shock on your monthly bill. Of course, you can always save 3G data use by using the iPhone’s Wi-Fi and keeping the e-mail “auto-check” function off. You can track your usage with a meter on the iPhone but it’s difficult to say exactly how much data you’ll get from 20MB. But in a rough estimate that should be about 390 Web pages and about 170 e-mails with attached photos.

A: Maybe, but my question is why would you want to? You’d end up paying a lot of money (the price of the iPhone, plus a month of service and an early termination fee) for a GPS device that doesn’t even give turn-by-turn directions.

Q: Do you happen to know if the new iPhone 3G plans will be eligible for corporate discounts?
- Matthew

Q: What’s the deal with activation of the new phone” I hear that you can’t buy it unless you are due an upgrade?
- Charles

Q: Will the iPhone 3G rates for international roaming be reasonable? What are the data pricing plans while traveling outside of the United States?
- Ed

Q: As a very satisfied customer of US Cellular, changing to AT&T with its dubious reputation for service and inability to port my number is a daunting proposition. What are the chances of Apple producing a CDMA version of the handset, similar to what Motorola did with the Razr?
- Craig

A: According to AT&T, a business data plan is required “when using iPhone to access corporate e-mail, company intranet sites, and/or other business solutions/applications.”

Q: Does the iPhone 3G have true GPS just like the
car GPS devices? In other words, can it replace the GPS device in a car, with the voice prompts, et all? Also, since the iPhone’s GPS feature uses cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots to help triangulate position, does that mean that you’ll using data when you’re using the GPS? I’m in Canada, so data usage is a sensitive issue since the iPhone 3G plans from Rogers don’t offer unlimited data.
- Gurjeet

(Credit:
Apple)

A: According to Mark Siegel, AT&T’s executive director of media relations, iPhone 3G buyers will be able to add additional iPhones as a family plan. Also, you will be able to combine an iPhone with other AT&T phones to create a family plan. For more on iPhone family plans, visit AT&T’s Web site.

Yet at this point it’s not enough to completely replace an in-car system. Though you can get point-to-point directions with Google Maps, the iPhone 3G will not support turn-by-turn directions in real time, and it is unclear whether that capability will come later from third-party applications. Apple’s SDK prohibits location-based service “designed or marketed for real-time route guidance” but that doesn’t mean we’ll never see them. TomTom has said it’s working with Apple on such a solution, but we know nothing for sure. In his review of the iPhone 3G David Pogue of the New York Times said Apple told him that “the Phone’s GPS antenna is much too small to emulate the turn-by-turn navigation of a GPS unit for a vehicle.” I’m not sure what that means exactly, but it sounds like will see that capability at some point. But of course, for turn-by-turn directions to really be useful, the directions would have to be audible.

On the other hand, the personal data plan is applicable for “access to personal e-mail, Web browsing, or consumer applications such as games.” I’m sure there are some gray areas, and it will be interesting to see how Apple enforces this, but for now it looks as if the business data plan is required to get Exchange server e-mail on the iPhone 3G.

A: Unfortunately, I’d say the chances of a CDMA iPhone 3G are slim to none.

Q: My AT&T contract won’t be up until October. Will I be able to get the new iPhone when it comes out or will I have to wait until my contract is up?
- Ben

A: AT&T is insisting that a new iPhone 3G will require data as part of a service plan. Unfortunately, that means you’ll have to shell out $70 per month for the cheapest plan plus $5 per month for the cheapest texting plan.

Q: I’m strongly considering the iPhone, but I have a major issue! The iPhone (along with its music playing capabilities) does not support stereo Bluetooth. Could Apple fix this with a software update?
- Rafael

After last week’s column, it’s clear that CNET readers have an endless amount of questions about the iPhone 3G,which Apple and AT&T are releasing on Friday. In this special edition of On Call, I’ll answer as many as of those questions I can. If you don’t see your question listed, be sure to check if a reader posed a similar query.

A: I can’t say yet whether the iPhone 3G will be worth all the hassle. I’m not one of the lucky ones who got it early, so I’ll have to tell you on Friday when I receive my review unit. Though I didn’t think the first iPhone was worth the mammoth hype (what would be?), the addition of 3G, GPS and Exchange server support does fix a lot (but not nearly all) of the original handset’s flaws. So if you’ve wanted the iPhone, but haven’t yet made the plunge, now is the time. But whether it’s the hassle and the money remains to be seen. And in the end, it’s up to you.

A: The iPhone 3G will connect with satellites, so it is “true GPS” as you might find in an in-car system. And as you say, it will also find your position through nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers when satellite reception isn’t available (that’s called assisted GPS). So in most circumstances you’ll be able to see where you are on a map and find where you’d like to go.

A few weeks ago Steve Pearson (CBS) and Jon Williams (Kaplan Test) keynoted the Open Source Business Conference. In the past week, both have opted to leave their employers to join other companies.

There must have been something in the water at OSBC.

At any rate, if you want a new job, please ask me about OSBC keynote opportunities.

commentary (Credit:
Jon Williams)