Take one pretty generic spring-loaded PDA holder, one bicycle handlebar clip and some zeitgeist branding and you get the iPhone Bike Mount Holder.  Ostensibly an ideal way to both watch movies while cycling and to crash into cars and railings, USBfever are suggesting that it might be safer to just use it to play music during your eco-friendly, thigh-chafing commute.  They also claim the mount is “quakeproof”, which should be a reassuring fact when you’re catching air off of the speed bumps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMxigJpexI0

Of course, this isn’t just for the iPhone, they’ve just seized on that as the gadget-of-the-moment.  That doesn’t make it a bad accessory, per se, just a lazy one.  An iPhone-specific cradle could’ve recharged your cellphone via one of those generators that more usually powers a lamp.

If you’re still interested (and I suppose it’s safer than digging around in your bag or pocket whenever you want to change the track), it’s available now and priced at $14.99.  Alternatively, you could make your own.  eBay has plenty of PDA holders listed from $0.99, and you could salvage the mount from an old bike light.

[via Red Ferret Journal]

It seems that AT&T might be looking to make the new iPhone a little bit more affordable than the current iteration. Word on the streets is that AT&T could subsidize the new iPhone, and take up to $200 off the price of the unit. Many flocked to AT&T for the iPhone the first time, subsidized or not. Fast forward to now, with new iPhone, new features, and the possibility of the device being more affordable than the last, and AT&T could see an even greater number this time around.

We of course know that the new iPhone will come in 8GB and 16GB flavors. The source says that the devices will sell for $399 and $449, respectively. If the devices were sold at this rumored contract price, then they would sell for $199 and $249. Even at the most expensive, the new iPhone would be cheaper than the current one on this pricing scheme.

The source did not stop at this information either. They took the time to leak a few features of the new device. All the usuals were listed. GPS, etc. One thing that was said that conflicts with our earlier reports, is the new iPhone will be 2.5mm thinner than the current one. Since their sources are not confirmed, take that at face value.

[Via Fortune]

Goldstriker, who - depending on your taste in metal plating - either make the iPhone even more beautiful courtesy of precious metals or turn it into a gaudy, over-blinged embarrassment, have once again unleashed their electroplater and come up with the Solar Star edition.  Both the front bezel of the handset, and the Apple logo on the rear, are 24ct gold plated.  Meanwhile, the rest of the casing, including the antenna cover, is painted in the same Balloon White as you might find on a Lamborghini Gallardo.

That adds up to a white and gold cellphone, colors more usually found in the bathroom of a somewhat old-fashioned five star hotel.  Goldstriker do at least provide them updated to firmware 1.1.4 and unlocked for worldwide GSM use.  The iPhone itself is the 16GB version.

Personally, as with much of Goldstriker’s range, it’s not to my taste.  In fact I think Apple did a pretty good job with designing the iPhone as it is, and it doesn’t really need a 24ct makeover.  So that’s saved me £749.95 ($1,477).

[via iPhone Investigator - thanks Michelle!]

Back in November last year, deaf would-be iPhone users highlighted the lack of a data-only AT&T plan for the Apple cellphone, after the carrier began to sell a voice-only contract.  Now, a mere five months later, AT&T have released details of their Text Accessibility Plan (TAP), designed for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a speech disability and/or hearing loss.  Apparently created “with input from the community”, the new tariff costs $40 a month.

That $40 gets you the same unlimited data and visual voice mail as the standard iPhone contracts, together with unlimited SMS messaging.  Voice calls are charged at $0.40 a minute, presumably for both incoming and outgoing calls.  A two-year contract is also required.

However, AT&T are requiring customers to file disability certification forms [pdf link] before they can sign up to the plan.  That includes getting official confirmation of the hearing or speech problem from a professional the carrier deems appropriate:

“A certifying agent must be a qualified health care professional, audiologist or hearing health professional, speech or language therapist/specialist, representative of an institution, agency or non-profit 510c3 organization actively engaged in work in the disability area specified by the applicant. A certifying agent must have direct knowledge or documentation of the applicant’s condition or functional limitation” AT&T disability certification form

Users activate their iPhone in the normal way, then send off the certification form.  AT&T review it, and then - assuming the customer qualifies - switch them to the TAP plan.  Now I’m not deaf and as such I’ve not had to fill out such a form before, but it all looks very complicated; I’d appreciate someone letting me know in the comments whether this is par for the course or been made unusually difficult by AT&T.

You folks up in Canada have been waiting real patient for this, and it looks like you will finally be rewarded. Most of you probably already have your iPhone unlocked and on Rogers anyway, but hey some official iPhone love is always good. Details are very few at the moment, which is also echoed in this statement that was issued concerning the matter.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can’t tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned.” -Ted Rogers, President and CEO of Rogers

That is the entire press release, I am not kidding. However it comes right from the President and CEO himself. Why can he not tell us any more about it? There are a few possibilities. Why negotiate with Apple and just get the original iPhone ‘later this year’? You know what I am getting at. It could be the 3G iPhone, which is why he has to be mum. Rogers has the HSDPA network, so it is possible.

The other possibility, is he is just wanting to build up a little hype. Either seem possible, and either would not surprise. This story is still developing. Check back for any more information that we get a hold of.

[Via CNW Group]

An article printed in a Chinese news paper, The Commercial Times, is saying that the manufacturer Foxconn, Hon Hai Precision Industry, has landed the contract to manufacture the new iPhone. Foxconn was also the manufacturer of the original iPhone, so it is not too far fetched of an idea. The article says that the new iPhone should ship around June. We all knew that already though, didn’t we?

The Chinese Times article claims that their sources have been instructed by Apple to begin preparing to manufacture the new iPhone. The article says that the sources were told they need to “begin preparing material supplies by the end of May.” It also claims that the new iPhone should sell over three million units by the end of June.

That seems to be pretty generous estimate for just one month of sales. Potentially even less than a month depending on when in June it starts shipping, if at all. This is not the only number they are estimating. The article says that the new model would ship about 25 million units during it’s life span. It very well could; after all, 3G opens up a much broader market than it’s 3G-challenged first generation brother.

[Via DigiTimes]

It was just not enough to be able to use custom images as the background to your iPhone’s home screen. Well, not for the iPhone developers over at Skrew at least. They have just released an alpha version of their new application, vWallpaper. Just as the ‘v’ before ‘Wallpaper’ would have you expect, it allows you to use videos as the background to your home screen.

Ignoring the fact that your battery will most likely suffer from such an application, it looks pretty cool. It is a very early release of the application as of now, on the settings page of the application, there is a warning of it being a release for preview and and testing only. There are a few bugs that will need to be ironed out, but with a little patience, it is said to be working.

As of now, there are only two wallpapers that can be used for the background. One, is a explosion with fire balls. The other, is drops of water rippling outwards. There are some who have figured out what files and properties need to be changed to load your own video as the background. vWallpaper can be downloaded on Installer now. You will need to add the source http://i.danstaface.net to your sources list.

[Via Just Another iPhone Blog]