Pre Release iPhone 5 Love, Where is it? Not In The Markets!

iPhone 5 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
With ever increasing Android phones, looking and doing better or equal to what iPhone does, there are so much that iPhone 5 can bring us.
Just without thinking much deeper, two enhancements that iPhone 5 could bring are NFC and a Front facing camera. But those to have existed on Android phones for ages. So only thing Apple could do is to make enhancements like those two more sexier. But how sexier could NFC on iPhone be? Front facing camera, that can certainly be done by not doing what Apple did with iPad 2
Yes I halted a purchase of a new phone in anticipation of iPhone 5 but if Apple cannot show that it is worth my money, I would turn to an Android phone in a blink. Perhaps I might even think of an iPhone 4, or iPhone 4S that is circulating around rumor mills.
It seems it is not only me but investors too have changed their tunes towards iPhone launch. According to WSJ, the traders are not making money in the pre release market of iPhone 5 like they did in the previous iPhone releases;

Money is Usually Made Leading Up to iPhone Event but Not in 2011. WithApple set to announce the iPhone 5 this Tuesday (October 4), we analyzed the stock price performance around prior iPhone launches.
Looking overApple's stock price performance surrounding the past four iPhone launches,the real money was made leading up to the iPhone event. In each of the pastfour years, Apple stock has always moved higher in the two weeks prior to theiPhone event, however, this year appears to be the exception with an 8%decline in Apple's stock price (vs. down 6% for S&P 500) registered ahead ofthe October 4 event.

How Apple is doing in the market (Also you will notice everybody else is also in the same boat.)
WSJ

Does BlackBerry (RIM) Needs A Reboot To Avoid "RIM RIP"?

BlackBerry RIM  Reboot http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I came across this fine article on Deccan Herald about RIM need to reboot itself to avoid RIM RIP. We all have seen where the Smartphone Market Share is going. Big players like NOKIA and RIM took places behind new stars Google Android and Apple iPhone. The article discusses the success of Google Android platform and Apple iPhone against Blackberry phones.
Deccan Herald is a newspaper in India, where Nokia and Blackberry dominates the cell phone market. Perhaps those rumors of low cost iPhone coupled with popular Android phones with low price points might change all that soon.
Still you can see the Blackberry affinity in the article and it might reflect the thoughts of general public. It praises BlackBerry 9900 and at the same time scolds RIM for not giving NFC or such things as front facing camera, which are standard parts of most Android phones and is expected with iPhone 5.
I guess RIM got to listen to it's customers and avoid RIM RIP and keep the competition up against the Android, Apple and Nokia (Nokia needs some waking up too!)
Deccan Herald

MagicJack iPhone App Debuts

MagicJack iPhone App http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Welknown and also well used magicJack, the VoIP service that is offered with a USB device providing free calls for the cost of the device and a yearly fee of $19.99 to users in the U.S. and Canada. Each device purchased Magicjack or Magicjack Plus includes one year service. So the free calls is a kind of misnomer.
It is also very difficult to find any pricing information at the Magicjack site easily. Positive side of this is the happy users. I have a coleague who uses Magicjack and you would not know he is calling you via a VOIP service.
But the news today is that Magicjack has released an iPhone app. magicJack app came to the iTunes App Store this week and lets users make free calls to numbers in the U.S. and Canada and to other magicJack users anywhere in the world at no charge. The app works on all iDevices provided that have iOS 4.0 or higher.

magicJack is not alone in the Free VOIP calling space on the iTunes App store, it  joins the likes of Skype, Viber, netTALK.
Unlikewith the Magicjack devices described above, magicJack App does not require you to create an account before you can start making those free phone calls, (out going only). The App offers you the option to skip account creation and go right to the dialer shown above. By creating an account to get voicemail and a designated magicJack phone number, or information from an existing account one can receive calls through magicJack without using minutes on your cell phone plan. In the U.S. incoming calls count against your cell phone plan).
I have not tried the app yet and many of those who tried praise the app and it's abilities. Many have made calls over wifi and 3G and seem to be satisfied.
iTunes App Store

Alec Saunders Of Calliflower Fame Takes A Bite Out Of Blackberry Development Apple!

Alec Saunders Joins RIM http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Alec Saunders, CEO and the co-founder of Iotum / Calliflower has Joined RIM as Vice President, Developer Relations for all of RIM. Mobilize me conference had him going to the heart of the matter, developers mindset, that largely affects the Blackberry development. He says that he will change the current conditions that affect BlackBerry development and developers, and I whole heartedly believe him.
I really hope all the best for him in this daunting task. You can read a nice interview on Blackberry developer blog. And you can read his own blog post about the matter. If you are a tech evangelist, he is looking for some, follow the above link to the blog post to get more information.

MobileMe, iCloud Back in Action After Widespread Outage!

MobileMe Outage http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Yesterday Apple's MobileMe had a day in the cloud, or more like a day in a cloud burst. According to MacRumors report filed earlier yesterday indicates that the outage has affected as much as 75% of the MobileMe users.
Comments left by MacRumors users indicated that the outage (as high as 75% of users) was also affecting the iCloud and other related services.
Apple is in the works transitioning from MobileMe to iCloud service and this could indicate that The iCloud service is more than a name change and some hardcore changes are taking place. Apple will officially announce iCloud service in October 4th, most probably with iPhone 5 announcement.
The MobileMe service will continue to be available to users until June 30 2012.
Macrumors Forum
Apple system status